Valley of the Shadows
by Igor Lollipop
Summary: Glenna is a confidant of Princess Zelda with the cursed ability to shape shift. She lives her days reporting on the state of Hyrule until she travels to Ordon. Suddenly, Glenna is forced out of her comfort zone when Zelda surrenders to a strange man from a different realm and forced into traveling around with a manic, secretive twili and a farmhand boy on a quest to restore Hyrule.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: Hi and welcome to my second... or third... Zelda story. As you may or may not know, I am hardly a stranger to ff, more or less because it's often times simpler to write a fanfiction than it is to write an actual story, ha. **

**I already have the sequel in mind (shocker), and it's going to be excellent, so I'll hope you stick around and enjoy this one! A couple of things to start off: I began writing this story way back in 2009 (and I'm still writing it, what?!), so a lot of stuff is written without regard to later games and theories. On that note, this has been published since way before **_**Hyrule Historia **_**was a thing, so a lot of the theories in here are probably no longer correct. This story is full of my own theories, as well as some canon stuff. As you'll see, some of it was true in the **_**Twilight Princess **_**game, and some of it is just... not. I'll generally tell you when the setting is straying way from the game. This is a long note, sorry, so this is my last thing: The story is more or less centered around Glenna, a young adult who works for Zelda, who is a shape shifter. She meets up with Link pre-TP events and befriends him before the two of them are sucked in restoring Hyrule to normal and helping Midna. Not a good summary, but that's a very basic synopsis. There are sometimes multiple pairings in here, you'll have to read to find out. Oops, I lied, final thing: This first chapter is very enemy terminology heavy, so if you're confused, look up the names in Zeldapedia.**

**Disclaimer - No, I don't own Zelda. Kthxbai.**

* * *

The day was so young that the morning mist had not dissipated from its place over sleepy Hyrule. Fog or no fog, it depended not on the time of day; there was no way the Hylians were leaving the safety of their villages.

For a while now, a steady number of monsters had been infiltrating the kingdom. It started with the guays nesting in trees and multiplying like rabbits. Soon enough, children were no longer allowed near flowers as Deku Babas and Deku Serpents would spring from them with an appetite. It didn't take long for the Bokoblins to appear out of nowhere, either.

Then, Kargarocs settled in. Soon afterward, Bulbins appeared in pairs atop Bulbos that much preferred the sanctuary of the Gerudo Desert. It didn't take much longer for Lizalfos and other beats to settle in.

As each new species popped up, it seemed more hylians took refuge in their homes. It was only a question of when, not if, they would cease to be safe there.

The majority of wild-life (except for tiny sparrows that even the Kargarocs didn't care for) had stayed hidden, like the hylians, yet an obviously white canine streaked across the grass and sticking out like a sore thumb. A Bulbin perched atop a cliff narrowed its red eyes and drew its bowstring taut. The damned canine was moving too fast for him to be able to take aim. As it passed him, he finally realized what it was and dropped his weapon. A few of his lackeys raised their clubs and followed it, but he grunted as an order for them to back off. Obviously disappointed at the loss of entertainment, they returned to their spots with one spitting at their leader. The archer Bulbin wore a smug expression and shot a nearby Cardinal, flying away from a group of Kargarocs.

The white canine would have breathed a sigh of relief if it was not focusing all of its energy on keeping away from the monsters. She was sometimes saved by the fact that the beasts regarded her as kin. Other times, she was not so lucky, not that she had too many fears in that regard. It was simple enough for a wolf to rip out throats and claw out eyes.

Seemingly on a mission, she continued through the field with eyes set on the castle. Her skin pulled away from her mouth to reveal sharp teeth at the sight. As she came to the bridge's gate, she stopped running. She remained slightly hidden behind it as her spine began to extend and straighten. Her limbs grew with her spine, and the white fur gave way to a white dress and pale hair that cascaded down her body in waves. The sight was more than a little off-putting, and she nearly cursed herself for being so forgetful. Truthfully, her thoughts had been distracted.

While she did not mind heading into the line of fire, she was a bit tired of reporting the number of monsters in each providence. For one, it was tiring and sometimes painful. For two… the Princess never seemed to do anything about the monsters. It was ridiculous, really. Sometimes she was convinced that the Princess sent her away just to get her out of sight.

As she walked, she glanced down at her brown boots, which had served her well for a couple of years. They were still in decent shape, she thought, probably because she was generally in a more canine form. Sad to think she was more used to being a wolf than a human. She glanced up as the shouts and roars of a crowd assaulted her ears. It took her only a minute to be in the town before getting run into three times. Castle Town was amazing in that way.

She took a hard left and passed by the fountain where an older man was sitting in rags, calling out to her. The only time anyone ever paid attention to you in Castle Town was when they wanted money. Reaching into her pouch, she drew out a yellow rupee, which she threw to the man, much to his jubilation. Not for the first time, she was glad that no one was really looking at her. The dried blood on her dress might be a cause for alarm.

* * *

Small puffs of dust lifted up from the blue rug as pristine brown boots paced back and forth over it. The guards in the throne room exchanged glances and shrugs at the young woman's erratic behavior. It took a moment, but one of the taller guards spoke up, "Something wrong, Princess Zelda?"

Zelda paused in mid-step and looked at him with soft azure eyes. "I'm just awaiting the results of the amount of monsters." Then, she continued the movement. Her eyes were brooding and distant. Probably, she did not even realize what she was doing.

The gigantic doors flew open, and the princess distantly wondered why they were closed in the first place. The blonde girl staggered into the room with one arrow in her right shoulder blade and the other in one of her arms. Zelda's eyes widened with alarm as she ran forward to check on her "Glenna, are you alright?"

Glenna only smiled as she pulled out the arrow out of her arm and threw it to the floor. Her long hair was flecked with blood and liberally covered with dirt. Her skin was pale. "The monsters must have multiplied tenfold since I last checked," she remarked in a soft voice. "These," she gestured to the arrow on the floor and the one still in her shoulder, "are gifts from the monsters hanging out in your courtyard. I killed them but, geez, your guards need to keep a better eye on things. How the hell did they even manage to get in?"

Princess Zelda bit her lip. "Could you all excuse us?" She called to her guards, all of whom looked alarmed at the idea. However, with a fierce gesture by the leading guard who had spoken before sent them running. Only he, Zelda, and Glenna remained.

"It's mostly the guays, you know, the little crow-looking ones? Anyway, they breed like rats, I swear. Speaking of," Glenna grimaced, "there are plenty of those to go around, too." Zelda appreciated her friend's attempt at humor. "And it seems like more Bulbins have arrived, too. I was going to check Faron and Ordona, but after getting hit a few times, I decided to come back." Zelda approached her and quickly yanked out the arrow, earning a grunt of pain from Glenna. The princess placed her other hand on Glenna's back and white magic flowed from her fingertips and closed the wound.

"For the most part, the monsters seem to think of me as their friend, or something. They don't attack, usually. They might think I'm a wolfos. Not today, though. There was no mercy. I think those Bulbins were new to the area." Glenna mused, sort of hating how familiar she was with the behaviors of the creatures. "Don't worry, though, Princess," she added at Zelda's expression of concern. "They haven't infiltrated any villages. Yet. If you don't mind my asking, Princess," Glenna always addressed Zelda in such a way when she was trying to be patronizing, "Are you going to… do something about these monsters? Or am I getting my blood drawn for no reason?" She should have been on her hands and knees thanking the princess for her kindness and understanding, but they both knew Glenna was not like that.

Zelda was so accustomed to her mannerisms that it hardly bothered her. "Come, Glenna. Stay, Nikolas. We're going to have a private conversation. Don't worry, we won't leave the castle's grounds."

It took a while for them to climb down the castle, but they reached the front courtyard after fifteen minutes of silence. "I am concerned, Glenna," Zelda confessed as they headed for the door on the northeast side of the area. "I had a dream, and this vast amount of monsters is starting to convince me that it could become a reality." Glenna stared at Zelda as they walked into a separate courtyard that was blooming with flowers. "In my dream, Hyrule seemed to be stuck in a perpetual twilight. Large black beasts were freely killing people… and their leader was obscured by shadows. This man went off and on about his 'God', and his voice was very… raspy and chilling to the bone. Yet, I was sitting in the castle, watching my people suffer and hope for me to save them as I did nothing." She heaved a heavy a sigh.

"Then, my father appeared to me and told me that I was a failure as a leader. He said 'No wonder you've not yet taken your place as queen'…"

Glenna had known Zelda long enough to know a bit about the princess herself and her family history. Many of the Zeldas, this one included, had a habit of seeing premonitions in their dreams. Releasing the tension in her shoulders and hissing out a sigh of her own, she said,"Maybe this one wasn't real, though, Zelda," Her voice was soft and kind, a complete opposite to her behavior up in the throne room. "Your father died when you were young. If he appeared in your dream, it may have just been that: a dream."

Zelda nodded slowly. "I hope you are right. In the meantime, more of these monsters keep appearing. My people are suffering, I know it. The people in Castle Town aren't off too badly because there's so many things to do… but those in Kakariko village or Faron providence have almost nothing there. Our trade relies on Ordon's goat milk." She exhaled a deep breath. "I suppose I should visit Ordon village and see if there's anything I can do."

"Well, assuming Ordon is still sending people here, you can simply ask his clientele in town to have him come up to the castle and speak with you. They're still sending a man... Rusl, I think." At Zelda's puzzled expression, Glenna explained, "One of his friends called him that. There's strength in numbers, or so they think. Rusl is quite the swordsman, as is a boy he's brought with him a few times."

"Maybe we could enlist them in the Royal Army. Goddesses only know that most of my guards are cowardly and don't know how to wield a weapon well." Zelda muttered, causing Glenna to laugh loudly.

* * *

That night, Glenna headed home early. Zelda had bid her to stay, as she always did, and Glenna refused, as she always did. She did not understand why she turned down the offer time and time again; the castle obviously had many rooms to spare and Zelda was her closest friend. Most likely, she thought with some guilt, she should have treated the princess better, even though Zelda did not hold it against her as much as she should have.

The entire town was dark by the time she exited through the castle's gates. One of the guards nodded to her, bidding her a good night. His partner was already asleep, and Glenna had to fight the urge to slap her forehead. She glanced up at the sky and admired a rare, completely starry sky. Aware of her heart tightening, she realized she was not ready to head home yet and sat on the edge of the fountain.

Sometimes, she felt sad that her new home was not her actual home, though it had been since she was young. What made her feel worse was that she did not want to feel bad about where she lived. In fact, she knew how lucky she was with her lackluster parents. Her father had a mean gambling habit that superseded everything else in his life. With all of the gambling he did, it seemed only logical that he would be alright at it, but the opposite was true: he was a horrible gambler. More often than not, he would owe someone a large sum of money by the time he stumbled home, but he usually did not pay because he was poor.

Usually, it turned out alright. Sometimes he would come home with a few red marks, some cuts, but he escaped no worse for the wear. Certainly, he did not learn from his mistakes. One night, he lost big, much more than what he could ever hope to pay. The person he was gambling against turned out to be a dark sorceress. After insisting he would pay her back (something neither of them believed would happen), the sorceress followed him home.

He had taken something away from her, something she had needed so desperately, so this sorceress decided to repay the favor by taking something precious from him. In her mind, Glenna's father would not need what she was going to take. Really, she was going easy on him.

Drunk or no, the sorceress saw the way the father interacted with his children, the way he had so much love for them. And there were quite a few of them. What was one child to a man who had many? Snickering to herself, this sorceress had cast a curse on the youngest of his children. All of the child's siblings backed away from her, as did her father and mother. In a flash, the child had transformed into a beast. Glenna had wanted so badly to become human again, but she couldn't do it. She could not make her body work the way she wanted it to, the way it was supposed to.

In her opinion, her father had hopped on the opportunity to chase her away with a torch and a pitchfork a little too quickly. Afraid and confused, she had run off in her new body. It started to rain once she was far enough away from home, and she curled up in a nearby cave, lost. Rarely had Glenna been allowed to leave the small house in which she lived, let alone the village. As the youngest, she had been expected to do all of the chores while her other sisters got off scot free, more or less.

Glenna's face grimaced at the memory of the sorceress appearing to her. At first, she thought the sorceress had some guilt over what had happened and had followed Glenna to help. As it turned out, she was living in the cave as she had no money left to stay in the inn in the town where Glenna's father gambled. Still, the sorceress was kind enough to try to lift the spell when she realized Glenna's transformation no longer affected her father.

The spell turned out to be too much for even the sorceress, who had never cast the spell before. It was impossible for her to remove it. The sorceress could only alter the spell so that Glenna could transform at will. "You may think that you can live your life without transforming ever again, but that is wrong. For a while, your body may transform you without your consent. I'm sure that you'll never like meat without it leaking blood again. I have never done this before, child. Return to your family if you think they will accept you." A fit of anger and despair on the sorceress' part had caused this, but she obviously regretted it. "Perhaps I should've just turned your father into an Ass."

Even before leaving, she had the smallest of inklings that her family would probably not accept her again. Still, what was a small child to do without her parents? The sorceress was kind enough to give her directions and, desperate and still afraid, Glenna had run all the way back home. Sopping wet, she knocked on the door, and her older sister screamed at the sight of her. Shaking with fear, her father sat down with her outside and said, "Maybe it's best if you don't return. Do you want some money?"

Glenna still perfectly recalled her response all these years later, "Your money is what got me in this situation in the first place." Feeling a sudden rush of bravery, she had stood up and willed her body to transform.

It was uncomfortable, her first time. When the spell had been cast, it had all happened too quickly for her to feel much of anything. Her bones creaked and shifted as her organs shrunk. The world that was suddenly before her seemed so large. No longer would she have to hide in the house and knead bread. With a distant sense of freedom, she had taken off into the stormy night.

Since then, Glenna had not returned to the dreadful place, though she often fantasied about it in her angrier moments. She had stumbled upon Hyrule Castle Town (well, how couldn't one find the large town?). Telma was kind enough to take her in. She lived in a house connected to her tavern, where Glenna repaid her debt by doing whatever work for her that she could. Telma was another close friend, one of the best women she had ever met.

Glenna inhaled and exhaled a few times before she finally stood and walked down the mostly empty roads. She took a turn down an alley and pushed open the door to the bar, surprised to find it unlocked. "Telma?" A white Persian ran to meet her at the door. "Hi, Louise." It was a little funny that a feline took a liking to her so easily, considering she was part wolf. Of course, Telma did not know that. As far as she was convinced, Telma never needed to know.

While Telma was not necessarily the obviously motherly type, when Glenna had collapsed at her door as a small child, Telma had just insisted on taking her in. She had glazed over the details of what had happened to her, settling for: "My parents banished me from my village". Appalled at the way the girl's parents had tossed her into the rain, Telma decided to keep her and raise her as her own. Not to mention she had never asked why Glenna was banished.

All this reminiscing made her deaf to the rest of the world, so she jumped when someone nudged her. Telma was all smiles and the sweat still beading her forehead told Glenna that the evening had been busy. She felt a little guilty that she had been gone for so long."Glenna, honey, I want you to meet a few friends of mine." She was guided to the back of the tavern where three people sat at a table. Three very eccentric people that qualmed all questions of why Telma had taken her in without any interrogation.

Of the three was a tough-looking woman with black hair and armor. She was the only human at the table, her round ears giving her away, and the way she was dressed made Glenna wonder where she came from. Another one of the figures, a man with reddish hair and rounded glasses, had his nose stuffed all the way into a book. He only slightly waved a hand in acknowledgement. The man leaning in a chair beside him was obviously the oldest, and he was also the only person who smiled and waved at her. "Honey, this is Ashei," Telma gestured to the woman, who grunted a greeting. "Shad," The bespectacled man looked up for his book only to nod in acknowledgement. "And, one of my oldest friends, Auru."

The oldest man, Auru, shook Glenna's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Glenna. Telma has told us everything about you."

Glenna smiled slowly. "I sure hope not." Only Ashei raised an eyebrow at this. "It's very nice to meet you all, but I'm… very tired. The Princess works me like a dog." She joked to only herself, fighting back the urge to chuckle.

Auru perked up at this knowledge. "Ah, I used to tutor young Zelda. I hope she is well?" Glenna nodded. "Good. Well, perhaps we'll see you in the morning."

"Sweet dreams, honey." Telma called as Glenna entered a door leading to the house wing.

* * *

That night, she found herself plagued by strange dreams similar to Zelda's own visions. There were black beasts and the strange dark figure… only he came out of the shadows for Glenna to see his face. He was wearing a strange helmet that reminded her, oddly enough, of a fish. "This place will be mine." The figure was standing in a spring Glenna barely recognized from Faron providence. The whole place was stuck in twilight and black flecks were falling through the sky like snowflakes.

"Why am I here?" Glenna asked herself as she looked around. She did not worry about the man noticing her; in fact, she barely considered such an idea. It was only when he turned to face her that she felt her blood chill.

"You… why are you human? You should be nothing more than a hovering green flame." He shook his head a bit. "It's no matter, take care of her," the man called to his beasts in a voice laced with acid. Three gargantuan black beasts crawled from behind him to attack her, their arms raised in a swiping motion. Her heart hammered as she realized he aimed to have those... things kill her.

A wolf sprang forward. At first, she thought it was supposed to be an extension of herself, but quickly realized that was impossible. It had grey fur. The wolf sank its teeth into one of the beast's throat. If only she could move, she could help. At what point did her body freeze, or had it been that way the entire time? One of the other black beasts let loose a terrible screech that chilled her to the bone. It struck the wolf off of its companion, and the canine moved no more.

Glenna was mercifully awoken by Louise pouncing on the bed. She glanced at the window to her right to see sunlight filtering in. _'Already late.' _She had promised Zelda to visit Ordona today, and she was already running behind. "Well, Louise, a lone wolf's work is never done," she sighed as she stroked the Persian.


	2. Actions & Motives

**Chapter II:**

**Actions & Motives**

**A/n: I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. Any important italicizing and bolding was forgotten because when I submitted the document, the WHOLE thing became bolded, underlined, and italicized. Dx I'm so pleased to see that some of my old, favorite reviewers have returned. You've been missed Kristi, Fatal, and catharsis. x3**

**Err… I forgot to mention this for, but this whole story is AU which means the characters act how I feel [not totally OOC, I promise]. Naturally, this won't be exactly like the game, either. :P**

**By the by, if I confused you with all of the enemy names (as I will in this chapter), search for them on Zeldapedia if it really gets to you. It helps so that you have a relative idea of what's going on. :3**

**Disclaimer - I always wanted to work on creating a Zelda game, but, no, I DON'T own the game or stuff. Hehe, I do own this cute shirt of Wind Waker Link, though… xDD  
**

* * *

Under the relative cover of the fog, Glenna took off across Hyrule Field. She was leaving Castle Town pretty early with the hope that she could make it to Faron and Ordona within the day. Dumb hope, probably. Maybe one of the stupid Bulbins would give her a ride on a Bulbo.

Like a wolf could get on one of those things.

Today Glenna managed to make it out of Lanayru providence without so much as a scratch; That was something to boast about to Zelda. Not until much later, though.

Under normal circumstances, Glenna may have checked in with the Princess before leaving. However, there were no normal circumstances today; The dream from last night had scared her so badly that she didn't even want to _think _about it, but she couldn't get it out of her mind. It was driving her crazy.

She crossed the bridge over Lake Hylia with no problem. The sun was already starting to get lower in the sky. Time seemed to pass too quickly sometimes.

About twenty minutes later, she was out of Lanayru. Glenna began to tread a little more carefully. The part of Hyrule Field that had entrances to Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru was filled with diverse monsters. She didn't come around this part as often because it was so far, so the monsters weren't too familiar with her. There was no pretending to be a Wolfos here.

A red Bokoblin noticed her sprinting across the field and decided to call its friends. They were wielding machetes and looked like they would be happy to have a puppy for dinner. Glenna kicked it into overdrive. While the Bokoblins tailed behind her, they couldn't keep up with her. '_Thank the Goddesses for that.' _**(A/n: Things italicized in the middle of a sentence are thoughts.) **

There was the sound of squawking behind her. Soon it increased by three. Glenna didn't dare look back. She crossed a bridge over a small creek and noticed that she was still making great time; The sun was hanging in such a way that she figured it couldn't have been afternoon yet.

Glenna zipped up the dirt path as it rounded into an area surrounded by trees. More Bokoblins were here, and took swings at her too late. Once again, she thanked the Goddesses for her speed. She finally slowed down once she passed an archway that told her she was in Faron providence.

Although it pained her to admit it, Glenna had never been way too far in this area. The farthest she'd gotten was to Faron's spring. Therefore, she'd never examined Ordona providence. '_Bad, lying girl.'_

She passed by a small pot being heated by fire. Although she thought it was a rock at first, there appeared to be someone sitting behind the pot. Glenna awaited to be shooed and threatened, but the man looked at her in awe. "Poor thing. You look tired." He said with a lot of compassion. A surprising amount, really. "I bet you're used to people seeing you as a monster. Don't take it to heart; People just naturally dislike things that aren't alike them."

Glenna liked him. He was wise and kind. Maybe she should steal him something nice from Castle Town sometime… She quickly took off again and, once she reached the spring, she realized that she probably should transform back. Although she had never been there, she'd heard that Ordona Providence, while small, was highly populated with humans.

From there, she climbed a gate, crossed a clearing, and finally reached the bridge linking Faron and Ordona. Glenna had to admit that she was surprised when the first thing she saw weren't humans. By the way people in Castle Town had spoken, she thought they were all over. Panting a little, and sweating in the sun, Glenna entered Ordon's sacred spring. She rested in the water for a few minutes, and that is when it happened.

The three Kargarocs that had been tailing her right before she entered Faron were suddenly swooping into the spring. Glenna grabbed at her hip -- and found nothing. She hadn't brought her sword. _Damn. I guess I figured I wouldn't see monsters outside of my wolf form…_ Now the blade was uselessly sitting in a closet in her room. All she could do was fight beast to beast.

Her bones shifted again, still a slightly uncomfortable feeling, and she was abruptly on all fours. The birds did not appear surprised or intimidated. While she went for one, the other two pecked at her and clawed her with their talons. Three to one wasn't a fair fight. Somehow, she'd hoped that one of the many humans would come help her.

That was a dumb thought. '_Who would help a beast that most view as bad as _these _things?' _She fought valiantly, but it was useless. The Kargarocs pecked at her until she was bleeding freely in many places. Once they were satisfied with their work, they left.

Glenna pulled herself into a bush of weeds to obscure her from view. For now, at least. Those birds would probably be watching her from afar.

It seemed to take forever, but a teenaged boy entered the spring just a few minutes later. Obviously, he'd heard the squawks of the Kargarocs and growling of a wolf. She stayed perfectly quiet. The boy had short and messy blond hair. Hair that failed to hide his pointy ears. _'A hylian in a human village? Interesting…'_

As if here thoughts had driven him to her, blond boy looked over and easily spotted the white wolf in green shrubbery. He stared at her for a few minutes. The brown afro man's words rang in her head: 'People just naturally dislike things that aren't alike them.' She wondered if this Hylian felt that way, surrounded by humans.

He would run, he knew it. Or kill her. She was already wounded.

Instead, he remarked, "The spring has healing qualities, even for wolves." His voice was deep, but not rough. It was… _nice_. Still totally mistrusting, Glenna stared at him with her blue eyes.

White wolf in your spring? Nothing weird about that!

White wolf with blue eyes? Definitely nothing weird about that.

Why wouldn't this kid just _kill _her? Once she stepped into the spring, he'd probably take aim. Yet, she noticed his only weapon was a sheathed sword. A sheathed _wooden _sword.

Slowly, Glenna pulled herself into the water. Her blood mixed with the clean water, then faded as the water purified her wounds. _'Wow, it works great.' _Still, she stared at the boy with mistrusting eyes. The fact that this boy didn't find it strange that she was a white wolf in the middle of a foresty area was odd enough for her to be wary.

The wolf's eyes, Link noticed, narrowed and her ears flattened across her head. He chuckled quietly. "A bit paranoid, huh?" He glanced over his shoulder as the sound of hooves reached his ears. A beautiful Mahogany bay mare with a white mane and tail was slowly trotting into the spring. Glenna began to count down the moments until the horse would freak out.

It took about a minute for the mare to take in Glenna's presence. She neighed, tossed her head, and began to buck. Although she wasn't exactly new to it, Glenna was surprised when the horse's neighs turned into words she could understand. No animal had really gone out of their way to talk to her before.

"Leave, Beast. You are not wanted here."

'_How dare she…!' _Her ears stuck straight up as the fur on her back began to bristle. Glenna's lips curled back to reveal sharp teeth. "You don't worry me, Mare. Do you realize what an easy target you are?" snarled Glenna.

The boy looked between the two animals, obviously sensing some sort of exchange was going on. The mare's front hooves pounded onto the sandy ground. "Peace, Beast. Go hunt humans elsewhere."

So that was the catch. Curious as to how well-informed this horse was, Glenna played along. "Where else? Have you not noticed the lack of humans in Hyrule fields? My pray, including small rabbits, has disappeared. Too many monsters."

The horse did not appeared fazed by this piece of news. "Hunt in another _region, _then. The people here are good, and I will not allow you to have them for supper."

Glenna's aggressive stance relaxed. Link thought that, if it were possible, the wolf looked amused. "How are _you_ going to save them? Maybe I'll just have you --"

'_Peace. Stop, now.'_ The voice of a very familiar female entered her mind. Glenna snarled. How could Zelda do that? The Princess's sorceress abilities were really something.

Without another thought, Glenna took off, causing the mare to buck again. "Calm down, Epona." Link murmured in a soothing voice as he gently patted the horse's neck. He walked out of the spring and watched as the white wolf disappeared back into Faron. "That wolf acted awfully… human-like."

-------------------------------

Once Glenna had re-entered Faron territory, she took a new route and dug beneath a gated off area. From there, she entered a very dark cave. _'Zelda, that was a gross invasion of privacy. How did you know what's going on?'_

The Princess's irritated voice appeared inside her head again. _'We'll just leave it at I'm a rather accomplished sorceress.' _Equally annoyed, Glenna said nothing as she wandered out of the cave and into a foggy forested area. _'I want you to return -- as a human -- and show the Mayor of the village my seal. From there, I want you to ask him how troublesome the path of his deliverers is when they visit Castle Town.' _Zelda paused and a hint of amusement entered her tone. _'Can you handle not hunting the villagers?' _

At Glenna's growl, Zelda's voice disappeared from her head. She examined her dirty paws, then turned her head to get a good examination of her body. No worries, she was completely healed. Heaving a sigh, she prepared to leave when she heard something moving above her. Glenna glanced up and saw a monkey swinging from branch to branch. Cute.

The monkey disappeared into the cave. _'Goddesses bless her. There are so many _rats _in there…'_ At that point, Glenna realized how hungry she was. _'Maybe one of those sucker's 'ill make a good lunch…'_

At one point, Glenna would've found eating rats disgusting. Of course, any six year old would have said the same. Besides, before she found Castle Town, it was sink or swim. While rats weren't the most delicious, they were something.

As Glenna considered her lunch plans, she heard many pairs of footsteps coming behind herm and quickly ducked into a bush. She watched as a few blue Bokoblins shuffled into the cave. That was bad. Except for the forest, Faron seemed totally untouched by monsters. Ordon was the same. Those monsters might have been planning to make trouble.

The idea was laughable. _'Those moronic Goblins won't know how to open that gate -- even with brute force. They'll probably just pace near it and eye it suspiciously. That'd be amusing.' _However, Glenna's stomach said otherwise.

With a human-like sigh, Glenna headed deeper into the forest. Finding rats in a forest was like finding ants at a picnic.

-------------------------------

The female monkey noticed the goblins following her halfway through the tunnel (after getting lost a few times, of course). She turned her brisk walk into a run and, when she finally got out, she hopped over the fence.

As Glenna had guessed, the Bokoblins were too dumb to consider how to get the gate open. One of them poked at it with its very shop machete while another hung back out of fear. The third one was lazily sitting on the ground.

The monkey crossed through the large tunnel, passed the spring, and finally headed across the bridge leading to Ordona. She passed another spring and continued until she was right outside the human village. Only a few hours ago, she'd picked up a baby cradle to get attention. Bad things were brewing in the sacred Forest temple, and she'd hoped that…

Well, she didn't really know what she'd hoped to accomplish. A human wouldn't have understood her had she tried to communicate the importance of the situation. She'd failed miserably, as the blond teenager sent a hawk on her.

"THERE'S ONE NOW!" A brunet boy, armed with a wooden sword, roared. The monkey appeared to be near a house. Most of the children were gathered there, too.

Now she'd definitely not get help. The monkey turned around and ran off as fast as she could, but the boy was amazingly fast. She glanced over her shoulder for a minute and spotted two others following him. _'Just my luck.' _

The boy didn't so much as bat an eyelash -- even once they were passing the monstrous plants. As she came close to the gate blocking off the forest, she slid in her tracks. The three Bokoblins hadn't left yet; They were dazedly walking around the entrance to the cave. If only she could signal to the boy to turn around… It was too late.

As the Bokoblins noticed her and the boy, she turned around and tried to shield him from the monsters. One of them carrying a large cage she hadn't noticed before nabbed them. It was over like that.

-------------------------------

Glenna padded out of one of the secret caves of the forest. She couldn't say she'd enjoyed lunch, but she was full at least. As she headed out of the forest, she was trampled by the three Bokoblins from before. Two of them were carrying a huge wooden cage that wasn't with them before. _'Damn… did they _make _that?' _The other one was skipping behind them, looking a little bit crazy.

The Bokoblins hardly fazed her -- it was the trapped boy that did. The boy had definitely come from Ordona. Well, before she made it back there, maybe she could get in good graces with the mayor. With newfound determination, Glenna ran after the rather slow monsters.

They entered a path leading to another part of Faron, Glenna guessed. The third Bokoblin tossed a key to a nearby red Bokoblin as he closed a gate leading to the path. She could definitely make it before the idiot locked the gate.

That was where she was wrong. Glenna crashed [headfirst] into the gate just after the Bokoblin locked it. A little dazed, Glenna looked up at many red Bokoblins. She must've hit her head pretty heard. Simultaneously, the mob of Bokoblins swung down their machetes; Glenna was astonished to feel pain from all of their weapons.

When her vision straightened, she saw that her eyes hadn't been tricking her for five Bokoblins were still standing there. Glenna's blood stained her white coat. Her lip curled back and she growled in an attempt to look intimidating.

The Bokoblins continued to stare at her. One of them handed the key to the gate to another Bokoblin. Like hell Glenna would allow that. Glenna forced herself through the mob and tackled the other monster before tearing out its throat. She pounced on another Bokoblin, then tried to stick the key in the lock. Glenna glanced at her paws. No opposable thumbs. Right.

Dark light engulfed her for a minute as her bones shifted. Then, she straightened up as a human. The Bokoblins' mouths dropped. She quickly rolled to the side and took the machete out of one of the fallen's hand. "It doesn't matter if you know my secret, 'cause you're taking it to your grave." she remarked as she slashed at one of them.

The Bokoblins quickly overcame their surprise and started to swing at her. Although they were dumb, they at least understood that there was power in numbers. Glenna blocked one butcher's knife while a machete pierced her side. She fought back a whimper as she rolled down the slight incline of the ground. With a weird kind of roar, the head of a purple Deku Baba surfaced from its roots. The Deku Baba bit into her bicep but was killed by a Bokoblin who obviously wanted to kill without assistance from a plant.

Quickly, Glenna jumped to her feet and evaded another machete, then she kicked out at one of them and slit another's throat. Having at least knocked them back for a moment, Glenna about-faced and unlocked the gate.

Another Bokoblin was in here, but she ignored him.

She had never been so happy to see the sun. When she made it out of the dreadful tunnel, she was greeted by a massive amount of sun pouring into the open field. Panting a little, Glenna walked into the next area of the field where she passed a shop seemingly run by a bird.

The only place she could go to was a slope snaking up to a gigantic, decaying tree. There was a door leading into the tree, somehow, and outside of it were the cage and two Bokoblins. Glenna ran up the path and slashed the throat of one of the Bokoblins. The other one sliced its weapon down her back. The brunet boy yelled as Glenna fell to the ground.

Although she relied on her wolf skills first and foremost, she was still an avid fighter. Glenna waited for the Bokoblin to come behind her and, without getting up, kicked his feet from under him. When the Bokoblin was on the floor, she sank her machete into his throat, too.

"Hey, lady, you're hurt…" The brunet boy muttered, but Glenna shrugged it off. The front of her shirt was soaked with her own blood, as was the back. Somehow, the pain didn't bother her. As she raised the machete to free the monkey and kid, she winced. _'I'm not a machine, so I guess I'm allowed to hurt. Really badly.' _Glenna struck the bars of the cage. Nothing. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she tried again. Still nothing. Finally, she raised the machete over her head and brought it down in a vertical slice. The kid and monkey clung to each other and covered their heads. Before her blade hit the wood, someone grabbed her arm.

Glenna looked over to see the blond from the spring restraining her. "Why don't you let me take care of this?" He muttered gently, humorously. She backed off and watched as the blond readied his blade behind his back. After a minute of holding his wooden blade, he released it in a spin attack that broke the cage.

"I could've done that," snorted Glenna. The blond rolled his crystal blue eyes before crouching on the ground.

The brunet boy looked ashamed. "Link, I…"

"Save it, Talo." The teenager, Link, snapped. He looked up at Glenna with a soft expression. "Thanks for getting here before anything worse happened."

Glenna couldn't resist smiling back. The blond was so _handsome_. Not to mention he had an aura of pure gold. "It was no problem, really."

"A white wolf was following us for a while, Link, how about that? I never seen one of them before!" Talo couldn't help adding. Glenna kept her composure calm.

Link nodded. "Yeah, I bet it was the same one I helped out earlier." At this, Glenna couldn't help but frown. She hadn't needed help. A small voice in her head whispered, _'Liar.'_ He turned his attention back to Glenna and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm rude. My name's Link." He held out a hand that, Glenna couldn't help but notice, had a triangular symbol on it. _'Sort of like the Triforce,' _she remarked to herself.

She shook his hand with her own bloody one. _"Glenna. Ah, you're not the rude one," _Glenna thought to herself when she realized she'd gotten Link's hand all bloodied. "Sorry."

It seemed now that Link was sizing her up; Something of the sort. "You're injured pretty badly. Let me take you back to my house."

Glenna agreed. "I have some business with your Mayor, I believe, anyway." By the time the words left her mouth, she realized that she was leading Link to believe she was a stalker. _'Wonderful first impression.' _

A smile twitched at the corners of Link's mouth. "Business…?"

Glenna dug a hand into her leather pouch and handed him a letter. Link turned it over and noticed the royal seal. "Huh. That kind of business."

-------------------------------

By the time Link had led them out of the gate leading to Faron Forest, Glenna's feet were aching in time with her wounds. She was used to her feet hurting her from running around too much, but she had been limping because of a wound to her calf. "Thanks for coming to rescue me," Talo muttered to both of them abruptly. "You know, that monkey's a pretty nice gal; She protected me when we got captured. Please don't tell my dad?" His brown eyes were turned up at Link with a hopeful expression.

Link folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Talo… Just go home." The boy nodded and ran off quickly, as if it would keep Link from telling his parents. "Why don't you get on Epona? At the very least, I can keep your pain from increasing…" As Talo left, a blond man that Glenna recognized approached them.

"Link, Colin told me about Talo, and I came as soon as I heard." At this, Glenna's rude, skeptical expression, he added, "I've been to Hyrule with some goat milk among other things. Ah, and you are…?"

"Rusl, this is Glenna. Glenna, this is Rusl. His wife is Uli, the matriarch of the village." Rusl held out his hand. Glenna shook it with her clean hand this time.

"Let's take her to Uli, Link." He nodded and, after helping Glenna onto Epona, hung back with Rusl. "I apologize that you had to go after Talo, Link. Such tasks should not fall to you. To his father, maybe…"

"There wasn't much for me to do -- Glenna took care of it. All I had to do was figure out where Talo had been held."

Rusl nodded. "Is that so? Well, thank you, Glenna. If such a task should not fall to Link, then it definitely should not fall to you. I will be sure his father repays you for your kind deed."

-------------------------------

Once they reached Rusl and Uli's (the house at the back right end of the village), Glenna was pretty sure her blood had stopped flowing.

A pretty, older blonde woman (Uli, Glenna guessed) gasped when Link and Rusl helped her inside of the house. "What happened? Who is…?"

"Uli, this is Glenna. Talo apparently wandered into the forest and was captured by monsters; Glenna kindly rescued him at her own personal risk." Rusl informed his wife after giving her a peck on the cheek. Uli frowned.

"Go speak with his parents, won't you? Link, I'm sorry, I know it's your day off, so… could you get Colin?" Link, however, shook his head.

"I don't mind helping out, Uli. After all, Glenna was kind enough to rescue a total stranger on my watch; I feel like I owe her something."

Uli nodded and smiled gently. "Well, in that case," she grabbed an empty bucket. "Can you fill this up with water from the spring?" Link nodded and quickly left for the spring. "Now, let's see those wounds."

Glenna unfastened her shredded cloak and allowed it to fall onto the couch. Then, she untied her strapless top to allow Uli a look at her side and back. Uli applied some sort of stinging potion to her back and side. "What was the spring water for, I wonder?" asked Glenna with an amused smile.

A sincere smile smoothed away Uli's worried and determined expression. "I had to keep him out of here somehow. Unless, of course, you wanted to see you like this…?" Glenna's cheeks burned at Uli's joke. "Oh, don't worry, I was just teasing. Now…" She moved her attention to Glenna's bicep, dripping with some sort of poison. "_This _may need the spring water. In the meantime…"

Uli grabbed a roll of bandages and covered Glenna from her upper chest all the way down past her stomach. Then, she dabbed some more of the medicine on one of the stab wounds in Glenna's calf. "Glenna, what exactly possessed you to save Talo?" The older woman asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't know. I saw the monsters running through the forest with him, and I just… had to save him." It wasn't a complete lie. That had been her second instinct.

Uli nodded thoughtfully. "What were you doing in the forest in the first place?"

A bit of agitation passed through Glenna. Telma was a bit of a mother figure, but she didn't ask her _this _many questions. "I see why they called you the 'matriarch', Uli. Anyway, I'm on some business for the Princess. She may be a little disappointed at my lateness, but, so long as I see the Mayor and report back to her soon, all should be well."

"The Princess, hm? You're so young… I was unaware anyone your age would work for the Princess…"

Glenna nodded and smiled softly. "Oh, she took pity on me…" That was all she would say on the subject. As short as she could be with Zelda, she appreciated all the Princess had done for her. The Princess had listened to her sob sorry about being transformed into a wolf and abandoned by her family. Well, being clever, Zelda had decided to use Glenna's abilities to her advantage.

From the time that she was only six to now, Glenna had scouted most of the areas of Hyrule for the Princess. She would tell Zelda the amount of monsters (if there was a surge in numbers), if any villages got sealed off somehow, etc. It had been very useful, and the Princess had always paid her rather well. Telma had never made Glenna pay to live with her (though she knew how much Zelda paid her but not why), but she did make her help out at the bar. Glenna owed Zelda and Telma a ton.

"After I fix you up, I'll have Link take you to see Mayor Bo. Then, you can come back here for dinner. As for where you can stay… you can stay here, if you like." Uli remarked, dragging Glenna out of her daydreams.

"I have an extra bed, Uli. She can stay with me." Link's voice startled both woman. He was carrying a bucket of spring water and set it down beside the couch. "You'd best use it before it loses its magic."

Uli nodded and soaked a cloth in the bucket. Glenna noticed Link examining the amount of bandages on her upper body. "You're not very good at defense, are you?" He was speaking in a light manner complete with charming smile, but Glenna could sense his worry.

"The only defense I know is running away -- if and when necessary. Those monsters just surprised me, that's all. I'm a big girl, no need to worry about me." She murmured but cried out a little too loudly when Uli wiped the Deku Baba cut with the cloth. A few minutes passed as Uli finished cleaning the cut and applied the bandages. When she was done, Glenna stood up. "Thanks so much for your kindness, Uli. Link, could you…?"

He nodded and stood up from the wooden chair he'd been sitting in. "We'll be back for dinner, Uli." When they left the house, Link led Glenna across the bridge and to the only house at the back of the village. Link knocked on the door, and a girl opened it. Before Glenna had the chance to make some smart-aleck remark about the mayor looking awfully young, Link spoke. "Ilia, can we come in? Glenna," He gestured to her, "needs to speak to your father."

The girl, Ilia, stepped aside and closed the door behind them. "Link, I'm working on something for you, so don't go into my room, okay? Father!" The mayor was a large man, both in height and width. He also had a strange appearance with walrus tusks on his face.

"Ah, Link, so good to see you. Word travels fast around this village, and I heard that you and a young woman named Glenna saved him. I'm assuming that you are, of course, Glenna?" He added once he was standing before Link and said girl. She nodded and he kissed her hand. "It was very kind of you to help a total stranger. I appreciate it very much."

The stressing of Talo being a total stranger was starting to get to Glenna. She shrugged. "He was a kid in need. It really was no problem. Anyway, sir--"

"Call me Bo."

Glenna nodded. "Bo, then. I'm on duty for the Princess. She asked me to give you this letter." She handed him the letter with the royal seal. "Because of the outrageous amount of monsters roaming every part of Hyrule field, the Princess wants you to know that she will do anything in her power to help you out. If any of your traders need to be protected by the castle's guards going to and from Castle Town, she'll gladly oblige. Of course, I don't suggest it myself. Those guards are a bit cowardly." Ilia and Link chuckled quietly while Bo read over the letter.

"The Princess is so kind. Sending me a letter with her attendant rather than sending it through the mail. Allowing us access to her guards… Well, Miss Glenna, are you going to stick around for a while? The Princess would also like something else, so I would much appreciate it if you would deliver it to her. You can go with Rusl, of course; He's a most skilled swordsman."

"I will stay as long as you will have me. Thank you very much."

"No, no, thank you."

By time they finished up, dinner seemed to be ready. A blond boy who Glenna guessed to be Colin, the son of Rusl and Uli, rushed up to them when they left Bo's house and told them dinner was ready. It was actually dinner for the entire village. Glenna frowned. When she lived in a village, her parents never served dinner for the whole village. In fact, the neighbors had _detested _her family. At least her father. Then again, he was a hopeless gambler.

So ecstatic was Glenna about a village-wide supper that she agreed to help set out the food outside despite feeling pained by her wounds. "This is so great. Everyone in my village was a stranger, but everyone here is like family. I love it." She told Link as she set a bowl of leafy greens on a large wooden table.

Link set down a plate of poultry and smiled to himself. Maybe Glenna wasn't the bitchy uncaring person she came off to be.

When dinner was outside and everyone was eating, the air was filled with the sound of chatter and crickets. Glenna told the children stories about fighting monsters all around Hyrule -- conveniently leaving out that she did so as a wolf, of course. Talo, on the other hand, told all his friends how he and Glenna had fought the Bokoblins together. At this, his parents threw him angry glares that surely meant a lot of punishment later.

Once all the food was gone, Link led Glenna to his place. His house was the most different of all the ones in the village as his was outside of the village and seemed to be a tree house. A large tree house, but a tree house nonetheless. "This is… different." Glenna confessed once they went inside. "Much nicer than my old house. Even nicer than my new residence, maybe."

"You used to live in a village, huh?" Link asked as he grabbed a lantern and lit the fireplace. "I'll sleep in the bed in the basement, by the way." **(A/n: For the purposes of this story, I'm adding furniture and enlarging certain areas.) **

Glenna nodded and glanced up at the long ladder leading to another bed. "If I roll out of bed, it's a long way down." She mused, then added, "Yes. Something happened and I was kicked out. A bar maiden in Castle Town's letting me live with her. Telma. She's a good woman; Keep that in mind if you ever need help."

Link didn't pry further. "I don't know what the Princess wanted, but it make take a while to get it, but that's fine by me. You can stay as long as you want. I'm going to work a while on the ranch tomorrow, though. Anyway, goodnight." With that, he grabbed the lantern, lit it, and set down the ladder leading into the basement. Glenna climbed the ladder to the other bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

Another nightmare plagued Glenna that night.

She was walking with Link and Rusl into the throne room. The room was empty of all guards. Zelda turned around as Glenna called her name and held out a sword. Glenna froze in her tracks.

Zelda's skin had taken on a green hue and seemed to be covered with tribal markings. Her eyes were yellow. She raised her rapier sword.

"I will kill you _all_…" She hissed in a voice very unlike her own. A deeper male one seemed to be with it. What was going on?

The black beasts from her previous dream abruptly dropped into the room. One of them grabbed Link by the throat, and he disappeared…

In another corner of the room, a grey wolf was growling and snarling, trying to take care of all the beasts.

With everyone distracted, Zelda strode toward Glenna and raised her sword. "You do not fit into the puzzle, shape shifter. I will kill you here and now…"

-------------------------------

Glenna's eyes flew open. Sun was beginning to filter in through some windows. She slowly sat up and stretched. "These dreams keep getting weirder and weirder… Like Zelda would ever raise a sword to me." She climbed down the ladder and glanced into the dark cellar to see if Link was still sleeping. "Link?" She called softly. No response. He was probably gone already.

She stepped outside and was surprised to see Colin, apparently, waiting for. "Colin, right…?"

He nodded and took a shy step forward. His hands were behind his back, and he was swaying. "My mom wants to redress your wounds."

"That's very kind of her." Glenna murmured as she slid down the ladder. Until that moment, she'd forgotten that she'd been injured yesterday. The dream was still too clear in her mind.

They walked through the quiet village together. Quiet until they'd just about past Sera's shop. Talo and a smaller child ran across the bridge and stood in front of Colin with their arms crossed. "Hi, Glenna. This is Malo, my little brother." Talo informed her with the trace of a smile. When he looked back at Colin, it faded. "Colin, why'd ya have to tell on me?"

"Our parents were really angry. It was _terrible_…" Malo grunted. Glenna knew it was rude, but she couldn't help but stare at him. He had a baby face that contrasted his tone so much that it was frightening.

"I'm sorry guys…" Colin murmured as he shyly grounded the dirt beneath his foot.

"Don't be hard on him, Talo, Malo. Had he not told your father, Link would have. Hell, even _I _would have. Trying to put the blame on someone else… Shame on you! Now, go play. Colin's taking me to his mother to dress the wounds I got saving your butt." At Glenna's harsh tone, the two boys scurried off.

Colin looked up with a true smile on his face. "They're always so mean to me. Thanks, Glenna."

Affectionately, Glenna ruffled his hair. "I had older siblings, so I know what it's like. Especially when no one tells 'em off for you."

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Glenna entered the ranch after Uli redressed her wounds. Link was herding a bunch of purple goats into the stable. Well, if that didn't look like fun… "Hey, Link!" She called to the ranch hand, who started and stopped Epona in her tracks. She jumped the gate and walked past groups of goats.

"You're up already?" He asked as he urged Epona forward to meet Glenna.

She nodded and shrugged. "Nightmare. Anyway… this looks like fun. Can I try?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Can you even ride?"

"Of course I can." Glenna replied, acting hurt. Link jumped off, and Glenna hopped up without a hitch.

"Do you want some tips?"

She shook her head. "How hard could it be? Kya," Glenna lightly kicked Epona's flank. "Hya, hya!" She yelled at a group of goats. The goats ran forward, aside from one that doubled back. Epona turned just as two angry goats ran forward and knocked her to the ground.

The next thing she knew, several Links was doubled over her looking very concerned. "Why are there so many of you?"

"What are you talking about?" Link asked, half-laughing, half-concerned as he held out his left hand to her. Glenna stared at it. As her vision straightened, her eyes fell upon the symbol on his hand. It looked like a large golden triangle with another triangle drawn inside it.

In fact, it was the same symbol the grey wolf had in her dreams.

The… Triforce.

* * *

**A/n: How was that? Longer than I expected because I didn't know when to end it. Heh. Once again, I apologize for any and all grammatical errors or spelling errors. Next chapter will be up… whenever. My school load this week looks pretty intense. **


	3. I Want You

_CHAPTER THREE _

**A/n: Thanks for your reviews, once again. :D Oh, and thank you Lady Zayriah for telling me about the formatting error...l put this up before I went to school, so I didn't get to check it. Darn you fanfiction and your opposition to my formatting ways! D**

**Please note that this is an AU story, and characters may be (and probably are) different than they were in the game. Thanks to Gwenny, though, for boosting up my ego. Much appreciated!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Legend of Zelda. ALSO. This chapter is subject to change. I was hoping to finish the story before updating it on fan fiction because I want to make sure the middle fits to the ending (yes, I have the ending already). And I'm not sure if I like how I wrote this one, if I sped it up too much. So, tell me what you think!**

'_I want you._

_I want you so bad_

_It's driving me mad_

_It's driving me…'_

"I want you (She's so heavy)" by the Beatles

* * *

"Rusl's just about done with the other gift Princess Zelda wanted. Jaggle, that is Talo and Malo's father, told me he already finished his." Link remarked to Glenna as he handed her a bag with ice inside.

She pressed it to her forehead. "Great. I wonder what she asked for."

"Even I don't know." The blond admitted. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now." _'And, by the way, can you transform into a wolf, too? If you can, we could maybe go steady. We're two peas in a pod!' _

"MISS GLENNA!" A loud, obnoxious voice shouted. Startled, Link jumped up while Glenna looked around for the source of the voice. A man wearing short-shorts and a red hat was standing near the now-open gate of the pasture.

"Uh… that's me." Glenna murmured as she slowly stood up and swayed. Link caught her arm and the postman ran over to them with a red letter in his hand.

"A letter from the Princess, Miss! She sent it to me by dove. The dove has come to me many times, so it can always seem to find me. Anyway, onto mail carrying!" He turned on his heel and ran out of the pasture so fast that one would think he was in a race.

Concern panged in Glenna's stomach as she tore open the letter. She barely noticed Link was speaking again. "By the way, Rusl said that he would let me deliver the gifts with you once they're finished…"

_Glenna,_

_I don't have much time. Barely any at all, really. _

_Something terrible has happened, and I can only hope this dove will be able to out fly this terrible magic somehow. _

_A man has invaded the Castle, and I've no choice but to surrender._

_I know what you're thinking, but had I not, he would have slaughtered everyone. All I can do now is pray to the goddesses that he will not find out about you. He mentioned being told of a white wolf. If he finds out about you, that is the end because I need you to see someone._

_Her name is Midna. She's an imp of the same race as the man who invaded Hyrule. There is something sinister about this man, but never mind that. I'm not sure if you can make it into Hyrule, but I pray to the Goddesses you can. Forget the gift and come as soon as you get this letter. _

_I told Midna of you, so you will be searching for each other._

_If none of this makes sense, I'm sorry._

_Hurry, please!_

_-Zelda_

Glenna felt bile rising into her throat. She bit it back and felt it sting her throat all the way down. This was… _terrible_. Hyrule had been captured by some strange man. She wished she could write to Zelda about her dreams, but it was too late now. She wondered if the magic was what she had seen in her dreams -the perpetual twilight Zelda herself had seen in her own dream. She should have listened.

Link had politely been turned away, stroking Epona. At the alarmed look on Glenna's face, his brows furrowed. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No," she lied. "But I have to go. The Princess needs me badly. I will… retrieve the gift later. I'm so sorry. Thank everyone for their hospitality." Glenna gave Link's hand a quick squeeze before running off. Had she not been thinking about other people's reactions, she would have burst into wolf form right there.

Link watched her go, his worry increasing once she was gone.

-------------------------------

Glenna barely waited to be out of Ordona before transforming into a wolf. She ran out of Faron the way she had come a day earlier and was relieved to find Faron the same as before. The minute she was in the middle of the portion of the field connected to all provinces, she froze. A black wall had risen up, sealing Lanayru from the rest of Hyrule.

There was nothing that could be done, at least for now. She had to check on Eldin. Without another thought, she headed east for Eldin.

As soon as she entered the providence, she ducked into a bunch of bushes. A tall man wearing a fish helmet -- _'The one from my dream!' _- was walking across the long bridge, flanked by several large black beasts -- _'Also from my dream.' _

"Ah, yes, I think that is about enough. I will have to, of course, ask three more of my faithful to stay behind in case any wise guy gets an idea. However, I think our job in Kakariko will discourage anyone from further intervention." The man only needed to snap and a malevolent looking portal appeared on the easternmost side of the bridge. At the same time, three of his guards disappeared in a flurry of black particles. Two new beasts replaced them.

"And, look, I found you some dessert." He needed only to look in her direction to get his guards' attention.

He held out his hand to prevent them from moving forward. "I'll seal off this providence so it can't get away. Happy feasting." The two new monsters stayed with him as the others rushed forward at Glenna.

Unafraid of the consequences, she stepped out of the bushes and transformed back into her human form. The man cackled with obvious amusement. "Ah, the shape shifter. I know the Princess didn't want me to track you down, yet you have made it so easy. No challenge at all, really." He mused. She pointed a Bokoblin's machete at him. The man boomed with laughter that sounded on the edge of insanity. "Stupid girl. Take her!"

The beasts rushed forward slowly. How strong could something so slow be?

Well, it would surprise you.

She swung her machete at one of them, but another easily disarmed her. The beast she'd nearly struck, swiped at her with an amazing amount of strength. On her hands and knees, Glenna choked and looked back. The man was gone.

When she slowly got to her feet, she felt a cold blade pressed against the back of her neck. "Be very wary, shape shifter. I am the new King of Hyrule, so surrender yourself to me."

Glenna stepped away, felt the blade graze her neck, and turned to face him. "I only answer to the true ruler, Princess Zelda."

Whether the usurper was annoyed or entertained, she could not tell. He turned back to his beasts. "This providence has yet to feel like home." With the snap of his fingers, the sky darkened to twilight and black particles fell through the air.

With amusement, he watched as Glenna's form darkened -- then turned back into a wolf. "_What?!_" he demanded in a voice more like a snarl. "You should be nothing more than a hovering green flame, yet your form seems to just turn you back into a beast. Interesting. Yes, you will definitely be coming with me."

'_Hell, no._' In response, Glenna ran past one of the beasts, which was too slow to catch her. Another scuttled toward her. She bit into its arm and was shaken with such force that she was hurled across the bridge. "If you refuse to obey me, then I will leave you stranded. Have a pleasant time, Shape-shifter!" Once again, he snapped and the bridge converted into black particles and disappeared.

Glenna snarled at him as he walked away. She was trapped. Trapped in a wasteland of Twilight.

Now she had no shot at warning Link.

-------------------------------

"Ah, Link." Mayor Bo called to said swordsman as he rode Epona out of the ranch. Ilia was right behind him, all smiles. She seemed relieved not to see Glenna around. He dismounted and walked over to Bo as his voice dropped to a murmur. "Rusl's finished the sword. So if you'll just pick up the gifts from Rusl and Jaggle's house… But, aren't you accompanying---…?"

"LINK!" Ilia's voice jolted her father and Link from their conversation. Their eyes flew to her red face. "Epona's injured. How did that happen, I wonder? Was it from saving pretty girls?" Her venomous tone stung.

"Ilia, listen to me, those monsters--…!"

She pretended like she hadn't heard a word from him. "I've asked you time and time again not to _push _her? She is a good horse, Link. If you overwork her, she won't like you anymore." Huffing, she gently took Epona's reigns into her hand as she began to lead the horse away. "The spring should make you feel much better, Epona. Come on."

"Ilia, stop this foolishness! Link has a gift to deliver to the _Royal Family_! Ilia!" The teenager ignored him completely, and Bo's eyes turned downcast.

"You'll never get those gifts to Castle Town without Epona…"

Link nodded. "I'll just grab that sword from Rusl and get Epona…" Something in his gut was telling him that it was unwise to approach the situation weaponless; His wooden one was with Talo and, for all intents and purposes, it was severely ineffective.

He glanced up at the morning sky with his lips pursed. _'The Goddesses surely have it out for me.'_

-------------------------------

When he entered Rusl's house, he found the swordsman polishing a sword while sitting on the couch. "Ah, Link," He looked up with a smile. "A beauty, isn't she? The Princess should like it very much, I think." Link nodded curtly. The older man's brows furrowed as concerned appeared on his face. "Is something troubling you, son? Where's Glenna? I thought you were delivering the gifts with her…"

"Something happened, Rusl," he admitted to his father figure. "Glenna got a letter this morning, then took off. She told me she'd come back for the gifts, but… I think I'll take them anyway."

Rusl nodded, slowly. "I visited Castle Town just the other day and all was well. However, I've told you already that I felt things unsettling in the forest."

"Which is why, even if I don't come back for the other thing, I'm taking the sword." Understanding slowly seeped into Rusl's face as he nodded again.

His eyes fell to Link's left hand. "Yes, I'd imagine that you would know better than any of us if something is happening. After all, the Goddesses have blessed you in such a way…" Rusl placed the sheathed sword into Link's waiting hands.

Link slung the sword over his shoulder and shook Rusl's hand. Without another word, he left.

-------------------------------

"Ilia! Ilia!" Link shouted at her through the gates of Ordona's spring. She was slowly stroking Epona's mane and ignored him. "Ilia, we've known each other since we were infants. I'm your best friend, and you are mine. Don't let jealousy get between us." Ilia continued to ignore him, and Link slammed his hands against the gate in response. Epona neighed, startled, and Ilia looked at him with cold eyes.

"Jealous? Of _what_? She's gone, isn't she? Obviously there was nothing to be jealous of in the first place." She snapped. "Maybe I should be jealous, though. You've been _ignoring _me. Never mind the gift I made for you."

A pang shot through Link's heart. She was right. He hadn't meant to, but he'd been busy. Now was not the time for this. "Ilia, just listen. Yesterday Talo didn't go skipping into the forest, okay? If you'd listened when Glenna had been telling your father yesterday…"

"I was working on your gift, remember?" snapped Ilia.

"No, you were standing beside me." He replied in a flat voice. "Anyway, she went to save Talo when she was he was captured. I didn't know, so I went after Talo with Epona. A Deku Baba must've managed to get her leg. I wasn't reckless with her; I didn't bring her into the forest."

Ilia was staring at the sparkling water. "Did it occur to you, Link, that she didn't save Talo because of the goodness in her heart? She already had business in the village, so she maybe saw Talo and figured he had to have come from Ordona. In order to make herself seem like a hero, she saved him. Not everyone is good, Link. Remember that." Her voice was haunted and sad.

He recalled how her mother had died, at least what Bo had told them. She had seen a hurt child in the forest and rushed to help him. The child had been a monster in disguise; It had slit her throat without a thought. Other monsters would have fed on her had it not been for Bo and Rusl's quick action.

"Ilia…" Link put a hand through the gate. "I care for you, a lot. If you can't believe me and let me do what I have to, then you're not being a good friend, are you?"

In an instant, her hands were clutching his. "Link, I'm sorry. I'm afraid of what will happen to you. You've gone to Castle Town plenty with Rusl. By yourself just seems too dangerous."

Link smiled and his shoulders relaxed. "I have a real sword, alright. I'll be fine. Just let me have Epona. Then, I'll go get the other gift."

As he withdrew his hand, Ilia opened the gate. Epona neighed with relief at seeing him again. "Link, just come back home in one piece, okay? That's all I want. I'll wait for you." He smiled and nodded slowly.

"I still have to get that other thing, so come with me and we can--…" He trailed off as the ground began to shake. Epona bucked and Link's hand jumped to the sword's hilt.

In the blink of an eye, several creatures had rampaged into the spring. Two brown bullbos burst on the scene. Ilia's instincts took over, and she tried to run for cover. However, neither she or Link counted on the Bulbins carrying bows. From his spot on the back of a bullbos, one of the Bulbins shot Ilia in the back.

Link unsheathed his sword but was clubbed from behind by two other monsters. One of the Bulbins seized Ilia's wrist and grunted to the other who looked toward the gate.

A third bullbos entered the area, but this one was blue in color and covered with armor. Its rider was obviously a Bulbin, but its horns were much larger and had a great deal more of armor. He nodded at the Bulbin holding Ilia. "Yes, that's the one. Not the only, though." he added before grabbing a large horn out of a pouch. His red eyes swept over the spring as a cruel smile appeared on his face. Without another word, he blew into the horn twice.

The sky instantly began to darken, and a dark portal appeared overhead. "We've done what we need to here. Come!" The largest Bulbin turned around his bullbos and led the others out of the spring.

-------------------------------

"Rusl, why are you armed?" was the first thing Uli asked when she walked into the house. When Rusl didn't answer, she said, "It looks like a storm outside. Do you know where Colin is?"

"Has Link come back, by any chance?" He asked, ignoring his wife's questions.

She shook her head. "No… was he supposed to?"

Rusl abruptly got up from the couch and went outside. "Stay inside, Uli!" She allowed her hands to drop to the bulge in her stomach as the door closed.

"Rusl…"

The first thing Rusl noticed when he went outside was that neither Ilia or Link had returned. At all. He headed for the spring, spotted Talo playing with Malo and Beth near Sera's shop. Colin wasn't around. Why was that? Where _was _he? He had barely made it to the village's gate when the ground began to vibrate. Beth jumped up, immediately alert. "Kids, get--!"

Four Bulbos stormed into the village, barely giving Rusl time to get out of the way. He unsheathed his sword and stood in the path of the fifth, a giant blue one. Its rider smiled cruely. "Show him what you do to humans that get in our way." The Bulbos swung its head horizontally when it closed in on Rusl. Rusl's shout was strangled as the tusks ripped into his arm and knocked him near Fado's house.

The children screamed and pleaded as the Bulbins approached them. They grunted and knocked them out with their clubs. "That's all of them… But why don't we have some fun before we go?" The glint in the leading Bulbin's eyes could be described as nothing less than evil.

As Rusl looked up, he noticed that he already had Colin tied to some large stick of his. Despite his pain, Rusl ran at the giant Bulbin again. "Release my son, you beast!"

-------------------------------

Link came to after what seemed like hours [but was really minutes] of being unconscious. He looked around the empty spring but there was no trace of anyone or anything left. His head was killing him from that club the Bulbin pulled on him. He sprang to his feet, ignoring the fallen sword, and sprinted out of the spring.

'_Now what? Where do I go?' _He looked around. Faron. Something in him was telling him Faron. Glenna had spoken of trouble at the Castle, so it just seemed the way to go.

He sprinted across the bridge, completely unaware of the sky slowly darkening as he closed in on Faron.

'_Ilia… Goddesses, let her be okay…' _

When he reached where Faron should have started, he blanched. A huge black wall carved with, what he guessed, ancient designs was standing in his way and bathing him in orange light. Without discretion, he crept closer to the wall. Closer, closer…

Until…

BAM. A giant black hand crashed through the wall and seized him around the neck, then pulled him in.

The black beast dragged him through Faron while still grasping him by the neck. _'This is wrong,' _he managed to think while gasping for air and clawing at the beast's hand. _'It's twilight already… and these black particles… This beast… it's not…'_

_Link choked as the beast abruptly lifted him up. He tried his best to peel the large fingers off of his throat, but it was to no avail. Just as he was sure he was done for, a golden light shot out from his left hand, and the beast dropped him. _

_He coughed as he hit the ground. His blood was pulsing, and his heart was beating at an odd beat. As the triangle's light grew more intense he panted, then… _

_His body transformed causing bones to shift and organs to change in size; It was a very unpleasant sensation. Unconsciously, he howled skyward before crumpling to the ground. _

_Believing it was safe to draw near, the beast drew forward slowly. With the thought that this was a significant event, the beast seized one of Link's legs and dragged him away, unaware that someone else was watching.  
_

* * *


	4. Swallowed in the Sea

_CHAPTER FOUR:_  
_Swallowed in the sea_

_**A/n: I meant to put up a little disclaimer about the amount of geography in the last chapter, but I forgot so I hope your brain didn't explode from it all. There's a bit more in this chapter, but mostly it involves Hyrule Castle, safe ground. :3**_

_**Anyway, happy valentine's day everyone! Is it an unnecessary, overrated holiday? Yes, but you can at least enjoy it by giving your close friends candy/cards - which is what I'm doing with my mother and two of my friends. :)**_

_**Thanks once again for all of your reviews! **_

_**Disclaimer - If I owned Zelda, a new one would be out for the wii already. D:**_

_'And I could write a song a hundred miles long  
Well, that's where I belong, and you belong with me.  
And I could write it down, or spread it all around  
Get lost and then get found, or swallowed in the sea.'  
__**-**_**Coldplay, "Swallowed in the Sea"**

**

* * *

**

Kakariko Village was nothing short of depressing. Three more of the black beasts were guarding the area near the spring, but Glenna already knew how much of a disadvantage she had. She dashed past one of the swiping arms and, with more than a little regret, ran through the village without looking back.

The Twilight, while at first beautiful, was beginning to grow tiresome. She still flinched at the black particles in the air, thinking they would injure her. Once she was in the large plain of Eldin, she headed about north. Everything somehow managed to look the same, yet differentunder the twilight spell. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she couldn't cross provinces without the help of some other twilight being, but she had to make an attempt.

Better yet, she had to somehow _make _something pull her through. Hoping for the best, she headed for Eldin's bridge. When she reached the inevitable wall, she barked once. Twice. Three times.

Before anything happened, she sensed the movement. A wonderful black hand grabbed through the wall and yanked her into the Lanayru providence. **(A/n: There's a fine line between Lanayru and Eldin's providences, so I just went by my memory. If I'm wrong, this is an AU story, so what do I care? :P) **It was easy once she was on the bridge. The monster hurled her across the bridge, and she narrowly avoided getting caught by a second one.

Then, she looked down to the river. It was a dumb move, but she did it anyway: she jumped. Yes, she jumped into where she thought the Zora River flowed.

…But it was not so.

There was barely any water at all, and her bones crunched as she hit the empty riverbed. She winced, but continued to move. From memorization, she knew the river would flow down to Lake Hylia… She limped southwest, toward Hylia, hoping that the barriers would not affect her down there.

Fifteen minutes passed and she finally came to a small pond where Lake Hylia should have been. _'This is so strange. Something must have happened at Zora's Domain. I can't check; it's too late. I have to get to Zelda.' _ But she was so tired now. Her mind was getting fuzzy. She jumped onto the grass near the shrine, a bad move. Her legs gave out on her and her eyes closed.

Distantly, she made out the sound of flapping wings.

Dark… It was so very dark.

His eyes fluttered open, but he didn't recognize where he was at all. He should have still been at the spring. It appeared that he was in a cell of some sort, but… how? Black particles were falling through the air, falling right through walls and objects.

Ilia. That's right, those monsters had taken Ilia! He'd followed and then… Something had happened. He couldn't seem to remember what.

When he stood, he was much shorter than he remembered. He _was _standing, right…? Finally, he looked down… and was more shocked than one could imagine. Paws. Furry paws chained to the floor.

Still, nothing made any sense. All he knew was that he had to get out. He dashed ahead to no avail. _'This chain's tight.' _

Once he stopped struggling, he heard a giggle and looked ahead. A figure he had not noticed before was hovering in front of the cell's bars. It was not a creature he recognized, but it was obviously female with its hourglass shape. Her amber and orange eyes were slit in, what Link could only assume, amusement. With the blink of his eyes, she was no longer there and he was sure it had been his imagination.

She popped her head directly in front of his eyes, making him yelp in protest. The own sound of his dog-like yelp startled him even more. Had he not believed he'd turned into a beast before, he did now.

"Aw, what's wrong, doggie? Or _are _you a dog?" She asked with a cackle, jumping just out of the reach of his jaws. "Ooh, aggressive, aren't we? Well, good, I like 'em tough. I bet you're wondering where you are? Hell, I bet you want to know what's happened to you." At his comically surprised expression, she cackled again. "Oh, yes, I know you're human. _Were _human, I mean." A smirk touched her lips as Link bared his canines. "I really _was _going to help you…- You know, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours - But you're not being very nice, are you?" Almost immediately, Link straightened his posture and became calm. The imp cackled again. "Obedient to a fault, aren't you? Well, then…" She moved to the front of the cell and closed her eyes in concentration as a black-red energy ball began to materialize in her hands. She shot the magic at the chain holding Link, releasing him immediately.

He stared at his now freed leg as if he couldn't believe she'd actually helped him. "Not very trusting, are you?" The imp asked lazily. "Anyway, I freed you, so…" Her body rematerialized into a bunch of bubbles that allowed her to move through the bars and outside of the cell. "If you really want to get out of here, you'll have to get to me." Link was growling again. All he wanted to know was who she was and what had happened to him.

Drops of rain pelted Glenna, awaking her as they stung her face. She realized before her eyes opened that she was moving, though she didn't understand how. Then, she felt it: talons were digging into her skin. A Kargaroc with glowing symbols on its body and an oddly-shaped head was carrying her over what appeared to be the castle. _'Oh, no, I'm not going to be your lunch. Sorry.' _Glenna flailed something awful until the unprepared bird-monster dropped her on the roof. Her already injured leg gave out on her when she hit the shingles.

'_Excellent.' _Glenna was ecstatic to find herself on a green roof attached to a tower with a window. _'Now to get out of this rain…' _She dashed forward, ignoring the pain searing through her leg, and somehow managed to jump through the window whilst avoiding the three Kargarocs that were stationed there.

When she landed on the staircase, her leg gave out on her again. She yelped and growled at the same time, the noises sounding something like a cuss word. She followed the curve of the stairs up, up, until she came to a slightly opened door. First, she nudged it open a bit more to get a good look at who was inside. Whoever it was couldn't have been much of a threat; they - _'She,' _Glenna corrected herself. She was standing with her back to the door and was wearing nothing more than a cloak, no armor at all. She entered the room slowly and hesitantly, at any rate.

The figure immediately turned around and gasped. _'Not even careful enough to wear a sword at her hip,'_ scoffed Glenna. However, something of recognition must have passed in the woman's eyes (not that Glenna could see because the lady's eyes were submerged in darkness beneath the hood), for she approached Glenna without fear. "Oh, Glenna… Are you alright?"

That voice… "Princess!" Glenna called out, but it only came out as a bark. Zelda threw back her hood and smiled softly. **(A/n: At this point, I tried to make her into a human again and realized why she was a wolf in the first place. Silly.)**

"Don't worry; I can see your thoughts, remember?" She reminded her friend as she knelt down to be at her level.

Glenna nodded her head in a very un-wolfish way. _'My legs are killing me. I think I hurt myself pretty badly when I dropped into the empty riverbed.' _

Zelda bit her lip. "Something must have happened at Zora's Domain… Oh, how could I not see this coming?" Whereas most would have expected the princess to break down and weep, Zelda just seemed to be livid. "This is horrendous. How did you get here? Aside from the riverbed, I did not think you could cross between the provinces, the way Zant was talking…"

'_A Kargaroc. At least, I think it was a Kargaroc… weirdly-shaped head.' _Glenna added as if the broad clarification would help.

Zelda moved her head an inch in a curt nod. "Let me help you first. Hold on…" Her azure eyes disappeared behind her eyelids as golden light flowed out of her hands and into Glenna's body. Her legs were instantly healed, even the one she had expected to be broken. Glenna barked her gratitude.

'_Now, would you care to explain to me what's going on, Princess? I left Ordon as soon as I got your letter, but I guess the time to help was behind me before I even received it.' _

The princess nodded in a slow, defeated fashion as she dropped heavily into a chair near the window. "While you were gone, things were stirring up in farther provinces. It started with Gerudo Desert, I think. This Zant, he is from the Twilight Realm. He used the mirror at the Arbiter's Ground to escape from that realm and come here. I don't know much about him, still, or what he did before he got here. However, he came to the Throne Room - I had been forewarned ahead of time and sent to the room - flocked by an army of large, black beasts.

"The beasts were very strong; they just continued to take down my men… When he was relatively close to where I was standing, I was given two choices: 'Surrender or watch your people die'…" Zelda's voice hit an uncharacteristically emotional note. And, as if she expected ridicule from Glenna, she asked, "What would you have me do?" Standing and staring out the window, she continued in a mutter. "I could not allow him to kill my people. I wrongfully assumed that no harm would come to them if I were to surrender. Now they are trapped in this perpetual twilight as green flames: spirits. I wasn't sure if there was a way to undo this, but…

"Another twili came to me once I was thrown in here: Midna, an imp. She told me she was of the same race of Zant. She said he believed himself to be king, but he was not. Apparently he usurped the throne from the royalty in the Twilight realm. Midna said that she had business to attend to in this world…" Zelda closed her eyes and revisited the moment.

"_Not that I don't feel for you or anything, Princess. It sure is a shame for you to be trapped in what my ancestors have been trapped in." The small imp with flaming hair remarked with a bitter smile. "Maybe I'll help liberate your world - more or less because I'd like nothing less than to piss of Zant -"_

"_Who?" Zelda demanded, her normally warm eyes icy and narrowed. "Who is this Zant?"_

_The imp cackled. "Zant. You know, the one who did this to your Kingdom? Gee, Princess, they didn't throw you on your head when they put you in here, did they?"_

"_Midna… Continue." Zelda ordered through gritted teeth._

_Midna cackled and did a mock-curtsey. "Of course, Your Highness. Anyway, I have to find a certain wolf before I can help anyone. My fellow twili have also had their fate sealed by this barbaric usurper. Once the wolf helps me, I can help your world. I need something here, which is what I need the wolf for. There are some magical items in this world that belonged to my ancestors, and I need them to defeat Zant and liberate my… fellow people." _

_Zelda relaxed her shoulders a bit. "This wolf is in this world, correct? Of this, you are absolutely sure?" _

"_I sure didn't skip out on any history classes where they nailed it in her heads over and over." Came Midna's dry reply. _

_Zelda released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "I know a wolf. Well, not a wolf, but a shape-shifter. A white one. Perhaps she…"_

"_Where is she?" The twili asked so fast that her words all but ran together. _

_The Princess raised an eyebrow, but continued, "She's in the Ordona province on my orders. You can't miss her. However, while she's there, she'll probably be in human form… She has very fair blond hair. I'm sure you will find it hard to miss her." With that, she crossed the room and released a small white dove from its golden cage. "I do not know why you are still able to retain your form, but I need you to find Glenna - or a postman - and deliver this letter." She attached a piece of rolled up parchment to one of the dove's legs. It was a wonder the dove could and would carry the letter. Zelda turned back to Midna. "Make sure this dove is able to safely get out of here. If the dove does not, Glenna will not get this letter, and your people will continue to suffer."_

_A small amount of respect rose in Midna. "I will come back with her as soon as I find her," promised the imp before seeing herself and the bird out of the room._

_'Well, doesn't she sound like quite the character?' _thought Glenna with some bitterness. It took only a moment for her to recall that the princess could – and, at the current moment, must - read her thoughts.

To her surprise, Zelda laughed softly. It was not a sound of happiness, but of dry humor. "Indeed. Apparently, you two never found each other."

Glenna shook her head_. 'I was a bit more concerned about getting to the Castle to see what happened. You really think I'm the key to helping this Twili?' _

"Isn't anything possible?" A third voice joined Zelda's ears. She and Glenna jolted as they turned toward the door. None other than Midna, sitting atop a grey wolf, joined them.

If Glenna were human, then her eyebrows would have shot up as she turned back toward Zelda._ 'How can she hear my…?' _

"…Because Twili are gifted like that. I found my man, by the way." Midna added, giving the wolf a hard pat on the head. The wolf growled, and Glenna sympathized.

Zelda fell to her knees beside the wolf as her eyes fell on the chain dangling from its paw. "You were imprisoned. I'm so…"

"Don't apologize, Princess; it was by Zant's men, after all." Midna floated off of the wolf and dropped onto Glenna's back instead. A vicious growl rumbled out of her throat. "Ooh, more aggressive than he was. I don't think she's the right one, at any rate," she continued nonchalantly. "He's the one with the symbol of the Goddesses on his left paw, hand… whatever."

Zelda had also noticed that fact. The symbol was glowing brightly, even in the darkness of the situation."Indeed. So this is…"

_'Link.' _He thought, knowing that the other three could hear him. He couldn't take his eyes off of the all-too-familiar white wolf.

"Oh, yes. I believe that Link will want to know what you managed to do. Why don't you tell him, Princess?" Midna cackled, earning another deep growl from Glenna.

_'It wasn't her fault. You Twili live in a realm together, can't you control him?' _Glenna demanded as she snapped her jaws at Midna. Momentarily distracted, she did not register the grey wolf's name.

The imp abruptly left Glenna's back as her temper flared and dropped onto Link's back again. "Are you really so dense, mutt? You live in a realm with many terrible people and monsters, but are you able to control them one-hundred percent of the time? I do believe reading and hearing a lot about a certain Gerudo…"

"Enough!" Zelda's authority rang clear in the tense room; clearing it and making everyone fall silent. "Enough. Link, I have heard about you. You are from Ordona and that this directly affects you, I am sorry. I surrendered to a twili man named Zant in order to save this kingdom. However, it only seemed to cause more destruction…"

Glenna's ears pressed against her head as her fur bristled_. '…Rather than not surrendering and having him slaughter everyone immediately. Oh, shame on you, Zelda.'_ One glance from Zelda shut her up immediately.

"Link, you must go with Midna. She needs you and you need her. Glenna…" Her eyes slowly trailed back to her close friend. _'I want you to go with them. If you get out of the Twilight, then you'll be able to return to your human form. From there, I want you to travel with them. For reasons I can't quite explain,' Glenna _recognized the sarcasm in the Princess's voice, _'I don't trust Midna. There is something about her… I want you to be careful.'_

After a quick glance around the room, Glenna realized no one else had heard what Zelda had said._ 'You are one skilled sorceress," _she remarked, earning a satisfied smile from Zelda.

"Glenna is going with you. No protests." The princess added when Midna opened her mouth. "You could use the extra manpower. Now, leave before the guard returns."

Seething on the inside, Midna drew her lips in a tight line. "Fine, let's get out of here."

As she started for the door, Glenna remembered something and abruptly stopped. _'Wait.'_

The twili rounded on her with a glare. "What?"

Glenna turned back toward Zelda._ 'I forgot to mention it before, but… I met Zant, I think.' _Zelda looked both worried and unhappy while Midna seemed relatively interested._ 'Those beasts of his are pretty strong. I revealed myself to him in both my human and wolf form.' _She winced as anger flow off of Zelda._ 'He wanted me on his side, but I think he thought I was the solution Midna was looking for. I'm not, though, so he won't be going after me. Of course, I kinda pissed him off, and one of his beasts threw me across the Gorge…. Now the bridge leading to Kakariko village isn't there anymore.' _**(A/n: If this was a really funny story, an anime sweat drop would have just appeared on the back of Glenna's head.)**

Zelda closed her eyes. "I fear that may not have been the reason Zant wanted you. Now he knows about you, but… it's no matter. Too late to cry over spilled fairy tears. Go with Midna, and pray you are ready for Zant the next time you come upon him." Midna scoffed, but she was ignored. "I know what's in your nature, Glenna, but don't you dare take off from Link and Midna. Now is the time to stick together." Her voice was one of the most deadly and serious Glenna had ever heard, particularly toward her. Glenna promptly hurried out the door. "Link, I do not know how to reclaim your form at this point, but I think the light spirits may be able to help."

To Midna's disdain, Glenna was leading the way down the stairs. "Listen here, Blondie, you aren't going to be 'leader' or whatever the hell you think-" Footsteps beyond the door at the foot of the stairs forced her to be silent. "Damn, that guy's prompt. We have to get out of here…" Her eyes drifted upward, back to the window.

…Link and Glenna padded down the green roof with Midna lazily reclining on the former's back. "Alright, let's get back to Ordon; I need a few things before we can set off on this journey of ours." She floated off of his back and stared at her two comrades. "And I do mean _our_ journey," she added with a satisfied smirk at Glenna's bared teeth. Midna turned her attention away from them as she took in the rainy orange sky. With one hand outstretched, she felt the black particles fall into it. _'Just like home.'_

"Link," Midna's dire tone made him jump. "I'd been watching you when those Bulbins came in, so I have just one question… Before you really agree to go off on a journey with me, isn't there something else you should do?" His expression was blank. "Oh, you know…" Midna turned and transformed into first Colin, then Ilia, with their looks of terror perfected to a tee. "Just something to think about. Now, let's get the hell out of here before one of these birds gets any ideas." Midna snapped, and the two wolves felt the uncomfortable sensation of being converted into twilight particles as they disappeared into the rainy sky.

* * *

_**A/n: This chapter was just setting down some more ground work. I have to admit, though, that I enjoy writing Midna - especially when she and Glenna are going at it. This should be a fun story. :3 Well, please read and review! (And eat lots of candy for valentine's day-Doctor's orders. xD)**_


	5. Truth & Consequence

_CHAPTER FIVE:__  
__Truth & Consequences _

**A/n: Unlike previous chapters, I hadn't started this before putting up chapter four, so I'm more than a little behind on this.**

**Sorry for the lag but I've been a bit distracted by Paper Mario. You all know that game, right? It's for the N64. I started it, like, eight years ago but then I gave up because it was too annoying for me to deal with. xD**

**ANYWAY. Without further ado…**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Legend of Zelda. Get it, got it, good. **

"_**You grew up way too fast  
And now there's nothing to believe  
And reruns all become our history  
A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio"**_  
"Name" by the Goo Goo Dolls

* * *

The sun had disappeared from the sky when they appeared in Ordona's spring. It had been morning when this mess had begun, Link thought, so how long had he been gone? He glanced at Midna, who was staring at the white wolf with a nasty grin on her face.

As if she sensed his eyes on her, she turned hers onto him with a chilling stare; Link backed up slightly. "What's wrong, doggie? Haven't you seen scarier things than me before?" The imp cackled as she jumped onto Link's back. "Are you dumb, or what?" She asked when Link's eyes drifted back to Glenna's form. "Didn't you hear what Zelda called her? That's…!"

She was cut off as the red portal hanging over the spring spat a black beast into the water. "I'll just let you two handle this," decided Midna as she trailed off to the side of the spring to watch the struggle.

A low, guttural growl ripped from Link's throat as the beast slowly approached him. If Link could distract it, Glenna decided, she could probably attack it. Link picked up on the thought immediately and barked a response. He continued to keep the monster's non-existent eyes on him as Glenna slowly crept upon it. Once she was sure she was completely out of the monster's reach, she jumped… and was flung into the wall of the spring. With the beast finally distracted, Link leapt at the throat and bit at it until the monster let out a horrific roar and collapsed into the water where it dissolved into twilight particles. The portal hanging overhead turned from red into a calm blue.

A bright light emitted from the small waterfalls, and a large, illuminated goat was floating before them. "Brave ones, thank you for saving me from that beast. I am Ordona, the light spirit of this providence. You are destined for so much, young hero and yet… here you are, a blue-eyed beast… Yet I have no cure. Seek my fellow, Faron… I have sensed much descent in that area and I fear the worse. The two of you managed to save my light but I fear the other spirits are not as fortunate. Go to Faron, and he can help you O Hero…" Ordona's eyes fell on Glenna, the beast that could not be healed.

At the spirit's judgmental stare, Glenna's body shifted back into a human form; Link's brain finally put two and two together at the sight of her. "Some who are in the dark choose to _remain _so." She mumbled, cheeks burning under the spirit's stare.

"I wish for the three of you," Ordona nodded its head at Midna as well, "to free Faron. I am quite sure remaining together will prove… informational, at best." As abruptly as it had appeared, the light spirit disappeared.

"Eee hee hee, that was fun," Midna cackled. She was still perched atop a rock in the waterfalls. "But this should get even better. I don't have time for you morons to sift through your pitiful, human brains. Link, Zelda mentioned Glenna's name a handful of times in your presence, and yet you're only just reacting. Glenna is a shape shifter, and I need some weapons, so let's get a move on, shall we?" Midna turned to face them with her ferocious red irises. "I can't be seen by other people – and I can't stand the light realm anyway - so I'll be hiding in Glenna's shadow. Find me some weapons, and then we'll talk."

Before Midna could do as she said, Link barked a response. _'Before those beasts attacked me in the spring, I'd gotten a sword, but it must've transformed when I did. Can you…' _

The imp only had to snap her fingers and the sword appeared from Link's person. Her hair transformed into a hand (causing Glenna to jump) which whipped around the sword. "One of the weakest swords I've ever had the displeasure to hold, but I guess it will have to do. I'll just keep it tucked away." As promised, the sword seemingly disappeared in thin air. "Now, go find me a shield."

Once Midna dove into Glenna's shadow, she found herself alone with a confused and possibly angry wolf. _'You're a shape-shifter. Did this change between this morning and now or were you the wolf I defended in the spring? The same one who came back as a girl with terrible wounds that I let stay in my house?' _Link was asking the questions with very little expectation of a decent answer. It sounded like he almost wanted to blame her and her appearance for the ill fate that had befallen him.

His ears perked up at Glenna's voice. "You're right. I was a wolf before I came to your village. Don't assume this is on me, Link, because it's not. Because of my father, I'm a 'beast'. Which, if you ask me, is a blessing in some ways. Hell, the princess would agree, there. I'm her close confident and attendant. She uses my powers for 'good'. Don't assume that my being a beast throws me in with the rest, Link. Please. We haven't known each other for long, but it has been long enough.

"Link, I want to help you. I'm sorry for not telling you about this, but I was hoping there would be no reason for you to know." Glenna's voice cracked somewhat. What she was saying was the truth, but that did not stop her from feeling bad that such horrible things had happened to Link, who she had come to like. "Anyway, you should stay back when I go in there. If what Ordona said is true, then you may not be welcome in the village the way you are." _'The way _I _was.' _

Once they reached the gates, Link hung back as Glenna had suggested. She inhaled deeply before entering the village.

The smell of smoke made her want to turn back. Her heart sank at the sight of the burning houses. Even by the light of the fire, Glenna's form was shrouded in darkness. A man that Glenna knew to be Beth's father was perched upon a grassy pillar with a jittery stance and hawk sitting on his shoulder. "W-who g-goes there?" Hanch stuttered in the darkness.

"It's just me, it's just Glenna."

"Glenna!" He squawked. "Oh, have you seen my Beth? Where is my Beth?" Another light shone as a shuttered window from his home flew open.

"Awful suspicious that she leaves and monsters arrive not too long after," growled Sera, and Glenna winced. Her assumption had been correct; the monsters had come to this peaceful place as well, and it sounded like she was the prime suspect.

Another voice quickly came to her defense. "You would accuse an innocent girl of such treachery, Sera? Shame on you!" roared Rusl. "Besides, you know that she is working for the Princess." Scowling, Sera slammed the shutters shut, casting shadows over Rusl and Glenna. "Glenna." He touched her face as if he could not believe that she was real. His expression made it evident that he had been through hell.

"Beth," mumbled Glenna. "Where is Beth? What about the other children? What happened?"

There was a faraway, haunted look in Rusl's eyes. "Monsters. Monsters came, and Link never returned for the other gift. We were so blind sighted by the attack… They burned the village, stole the children… I tried to fend them off, but I only got injured." Glenna noted his right arm was in a sling. "I don't know why they took the children. Why would those beasts want mere children?"

She quickly found that Rusl's expression disturbed her too much, so she forced her eyes to her feet. "What did the beasts look like?" Glenna finally forced herself to look up.

"They were riding upon boar-like monsters. They had green skin and wielded bows and clubs. There was a particularly large one with great horns riding atop a blue boar."

It was not the response she had expected, which Rusl could tell by the look on her face. "How is that possible? When did this happen?"

"Early. Not too long after Link received the sword from me. Link," Rusl became abruptly alarmed. "Where is Link? Is he alright?"

Glenna bit her lip. "He's…"

Clearly having forgotten his current state, Link came bounding forward. "COME BACK TO FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED, HAVE YOU?" Hanch cried as soon as Link came into the light of Rusl's torch. "WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER?" Hanch shook his arm and the hawk sailed forward with its feet outstretched in an attempt to claw at Link's eyes. Glenna flung out her arm, deflecting the attack and taking the damage herself; the talons ripped through a couple layers of her pale skin. For no reason at all, the hawk turned back and set off into the night sky. She knew how she looked now and almost wanted to close her eyes, but she forced herself to turn toward Rusl's accusing glare instead.

"How could you protect a beast, Glenna?" he demanded of her as she drew her bloodied arm to her side.

Link sat slightly behind her legs, eyeing the blood dripping onto the ground. "He's not a beast. He helped me get here," she lied. "He's a good dog."

"A good dog that has come to finish what those other monsters started," spat Hanch with obvious distaste. "That beast is hardly a dog! Look at it!"

Rusl nodded his agreement. "I would have you stay here, but if the beast is staying with you…"

"Oh, naturally we aren't allowed to stay. That's fine. I just wanted to drop by Jaggle's house, maybe see if we can find a toy or something with a scent for him to follow." Glenna gestured lamely to Link.

"You can check, but he has to stay put." Jaggle called from across the stream. "I don't want that beast in my house."

She started across the bridge on her own and entered Jaggle's house. Before she entered, she noted him and Bo talking near the edge of the lake. She went inside of the house with Zelda's second gift in mind. The shield was nowhere in plain sight.

Then, Glenna dipped her head backwards and saw it illuminated by moonlight: a plain, wooden shield. There was no way, however, for Glenna to reach it from where it hung on the wall on the upper level. "Somehow, we need to get up there. I could probably get it, but where's the fun in that? Eee hee hee!" Midna's abrupt appearance caused Glenna to trip on a toy out of surprise.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," she complained as she stared down the black silhouette that was the imp. "Why can't you get it? I found it, all you need to do is defy gravity and get it."

Midna simply shook her head as a large smile stretched across her face. "No can do. Whatever will you and Link learn if I'm constantly handing things out to you? I'll go back to wolf boy, and maybe we can hammer out a plan." As promised, Midna zipped through the air and out a high window on the opposite side of the room.

Midna's silhouetted form dropped onto Link, who was seated close to a rock by Sera's house. Rusl seemed to have returned home - or at least to his porch, where he was eyeing Link like a hawk. Hanch, however, was still upon the grassy pillar. His presence was only a slight problem in Midna's opinion. "Alright, dog-boy, we've got to get into that house." She pointed to the house with the waterwheel. "Do you trust me to help you get there?" A low growl emitted from Link's throat in response.

However, she was surprisingly delighted by it. "Good boy. Now, I'll catch you in my hand like before, 'kay?" As promised, Midna floated to the top of Sera's shop. Link made a long lunge and Midna grabbed him and landed on his back. From there, Link hopped onto a stone pillar, then the one with Hanch.

Hanch turned, screeched, and jumped into the lake. **(A/n: Always loved that part.) **Midna laughed her appreciation as Link turned toward the waterwheel. "Alright, doggie, let's do this." She floated over to the top of the still wheel, and he jumped across the water before they made their way to the top of the roof.

Glenna tapped her nails against the table inside the house while half-examining the pictures drawn by Talo and Malo on the wall. When Link landed on the table with a resounding crash, she jumped up, but her legs were tangled on the bench seat, so she fell to the ground.

Midna hardly spared her a glance as she gravitated up to the second level. "C'mon, dog-boy. Jump on up here so we can get the shield and get lost." Link perched himself on the farthest edge of the table away from Midna. He lunged and somehow managed to sink his claws into the floor of the second level. With tremendous upper body strength, he pulled himself up and dashed past Midna. He tackled the wall viciously twice, and the shield fell neatly onto his back. "Let's get out of here now." Midna disappeared into Glenna's shadow once again.

Link stood below a second window with his tail wagging in anticipation. "Link, you go first. I'll meet you in the forest. Once you hit the ground, don't stop running." He nodded his head in a human-like fashion before climbing out of the window.

Glenna ripped open the door just as Jaggle was about to knock on it. "Oh, yeah, didn't find what I was looking for. Hope I didn't trouble you. See you later, bye!" She spoke so fast that the words became strung together. Bo was standing on the bridge leading back to Sera's shop just in time to see Link take off with the shield on his back.

"Stop that beast; it has the Princess Zelda's gift!" ordered the mayor. Glenna noted Rusl struggling to his feet and quickly took off past Bo before her role could come into question again.

Glenna met with Link at the bridge leading to Faron province. She doubled over and took in a deep, staggering breath. "Well, that was fun. I should've gotten some potions while we were there."

"Why would you bother?" Midna had popped out of Glenna's shadow, startling both hylians. "I can sense the twilight ahead. You can't use potions as a wolf, Blondie."

"Is that where we're going next? What do we need the shield for, then?" Glenna asked dryly.

"Where did you _think _we were going, Blondie? There's no other way to get out of this God forsaken place-" Link growled at the insult. "-And the shield is for me, at a later time." Midna snapped and the shield disappeared into thin air while she took its place on Link's back. "Let's go to Faron. Back to the Twilight we go!"

The light from the moon seemed to be snuffed out as they neared the entrance to the other province. Instead, an eerie orange light was cast over them as they neared a large, startling black wall. Glenna glanced at the symbols on Midna's headpiece then the ones on the wall; they were the same. She pressed her lips into a thin line to keep from saying anything.

"Here we are: the entrance to twilit Faron." Midna's statement came in a voice that did not betray her excitement as she hovered before the wall. She turned to face Link and Glenna with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Are you both sure you want to go in here? Once you go, we won't be leaving for a while. In fact, maybe you should just give up and stay here."

A large growl ripped from Link's throat. _'Right, like I'm going to just stand by while the kids from the village are dragged off to Goddesses know where.' _

"Besides, what are we supposed to do? Stay here and live at the spring?" Glenna asked with an eyebrow raised. "No, no. We're coming with you, Midna."

"As you wish," responded the imp before jumping through the wall like it was not even there. Then, she reached back out with her large orange hand and pulled both of them beyond.

Glenna dusted off her knees and glanced around at the area that had once - just earlier that morning - been brightly lit by sunshine. "It sure has changed in the span of a few hours. Oh, no," she added as she spotted three of the large twilight beasts pacing like guards in the open space near the spring. An unpleasant sensation was filling her mind and slowly flowing through her body. In the blink of an eye, her body shifted and she found herself eye to eye with Link.

"Wonderful, now your constant jabbering won't make me want to stab myself in the ears," came Midna's pleasant remark from her reclaimed spot on Link's back. "So, let's go see that light spirit, shall we?"

Link started forward with Glenna trailing close behind. The minute they were within a couple feet of the beasts, a barrier formed and trapped them inside. "Have fun." Midna quickly floated off of Link's back and to an upper corner of the 'arena.'

_'Thanks, Midna,' _Link growled after her as she waved her orange hand in mock-greeting. He glanced back at Glenna. _'You take one, I'll take the other, and whoever finishes first can have the last, alright?' _

_'Way ahead of you, dog-boy.' _Glenna was running forward before he finished his sentence. She leapt at one of the monsters with its back turned and started to bite at its throat. As a second came to its aid, Link leapt at its throat and quickly bit and scratched until it fell; Glenna's fell at the same time. Before they could take on the third one, it shrieked something terrible and the other two rose again. Glenna backed up against Link. _'How is that possible?' _

"Can't you two do _anything _by yourselves? Pitiful humans…" Midna complained. "If you leave one standing, it'll just revive the others. Here, let me help you." She dropped onto Link's back, and her pony tail transformed back into a hand. "Draw in the three of them, Link." Link could feel her power flowing away from them. He neared the three monsters, which simultaneously drew toward him.

A force field was flowing around Link and Midna, and as the monsters approachedthem, they were covered by red energy. "Once you've got 'em all, run forward and get them." As he ran forward, Midna released her energy and Link knocked all three of them down in less than thirty seconds.

The monsters dissolved into twilight and turned the sinister red portal turn into a docile blue one. Glenna nodded her appreciation. _'Very nice, Midna. How many other tricks do you have up your sleeves?' _

Midna held up a silencing hand as her pointy ears twitched. "Do you hear that? It's some sad requiem. Hmm, I wonder where _that _could be coming from. Eee hee hee!" She kicked at Link's flanks, and he took off like an arrow. **(A/n: Because, you know, bullets didn't exist back then.) **

The gates that usually blocked off the forest seemed to be missing, so Link headed straight for the spring with no problem. A pale light was floating at the edge of the spring, and sparked weakly as they approached. "O, blue-eyed beast, I have no doubt that you are the one. You are the one we have been awaiting." The light uttered weakly. "The one who will save us all. I know you have already helped Ordona, and for that I am grateful. However, my light… my light has been taken. Small insects have taken my light, about sixteen of them. But they are invisible to the naked eye. However, I trust that you will find a way. So I give you this. With this vessel of light, you can track down the sixteen insects, each with tears of light." Midna hid away the vessel in whatever space she was keeping the sword and shield. "Blue-eyed beast, I shall mark the locations of the insects on your map. Please, help me…"

"Alright." Midna clapped her hands together as they headed away from the spring. Link's map materialized before her. "According to this thing, about five of those bugs are around here, but why should we wait around while both of you take care of them?" Midna looked over her shoulder at Glenna. "We'll go into the forest and you can handle the bugs in and around here."

_'By myself?' _Glenna demanded, slightly peeved. Midna patted (or, more like smacked) Glenna's head.

"Don't be afraid, blondie. We'll break even. You take care of eight, and he'll take care of eight."

_'And what are you doing, Midna?' _Link asked impatiently.

Midna cackled. "Telling your sorry butt where to go, so get moving." She added before smacking Link upside the head.

Glenna barked as Link headed for the forest. Both of them looked back at her and he stopped. _'How am I supposed to find these things, by guessing? Would you give me a map, too?'_

The imp dramatically sighed. "Fine, fine. Goddesses, you humans are needy." With the snap of her fingers, a second map materialized and disappeared on Glenna's person. A dangerous, deep growl rumbled from her throat.

Again, Midna cackled. She snapped again and Glenna stumbled back. She could suddenly picture the map inside her head, which was freaky in itself. "Focus on the map when you want to see it. If you don't, don't think of it or else you'll have a huge headache." Midna kicked Link's side once more, and he started forward. She waved at Glenna without looking back. "Have fun now."

Glenna thought to herself as she paced near the spring. _'She left without telling me how to detect the insects. How hard could it be? Let's see… they say animals have an extra sense that humans don't, right? Well, I already knew that. They can see ghosts in stuff…_ _So if I do that, I should be able to see insects that the naked eye can't.' _She focused her senses just in time to be blind-sighted by an electric insect. It stung her, and the force of its attack rolled her onto her side. _'How many light spirits are there?' _She counted in her head and wanted to groan._ 'This is going to be the start of a _beautiful _journey…' _

Sometime later, Midna and Link found themselves at the end of Faron's forest. Ahead of them loomed the gargantuan, decaying tree, and they headed up the slope where Talo and the monkey had been imprisoned. "Two more bugs to go, dog-boy. Apparently Blondie took care of hers a while ago."

A green flame was dancing upon a small stump at the top of the slope. Two bolts of electricity seemed to be racing around it. Link honed his senses and noted the flame was the female monkey from earlier, and the electricity's source was none other than another two bugs: the final two bugs. Link seized one of them around the neck and shook it in his mouth before tossing it aside. He did the same with the second before it could attack him, and he gathered the tears of light from both while the monkey searched for her hero.

Why couldn't she see him?

"Eee hee hee, you're as good as dead in the Twilight. Didn't I tell you that in the castle? None of the spirits floating around here can _see _you!" Midna remarked with too much delight.

_'Boy, that was weird. Almost as weird as the Boss. I really wish he would knock it off so home can feel a bit homier. I can't even _get _in there right now. I don't wanna knock down a spider web; it could belong to a Skulltula!' _The monkey shivered as she stared at the web blocking some sort of entrance.

"Hmm, I wonder where that could lead. Let's get back to-" Midna was cut off as they were engulfed in light.

Glenna was lying in the dark water of the spring. Several of the insects had given her a difficult time and injured her, and the spring seemed to have lost its healing properties with its keeper's light.

Strange as it was, everything engulfed in twilight managed to become even more beautiful, and dangerous. Naturally, she would not inform Midna of her opinion as it would only please the imp. As soon as the thought came to her, the Twilight began to recede, and then break apart in an explosive manner. The sun was just beginning to rise over Faron.

Her body unwillingly shifted once more, and Glenna found herself lying face down in the healing water of the spring. At the same moment, Midna and Link appeared in the spring, too. She quickly got to her feet and squeezed the water out of her dress while Midna promptly ducked into her shadow as Link became engulfed in a blinding light. Glenna looked away from the retina-destroying illumination and back once she thought it safe to find human Link standing near her in the spring. "That's some magic," she remarked with awe

"Such as the kind that is binding _you_," said a second voice. Before their eyes (but not quite because another blinding light forced them to look away), a large monkey with a very long tail appeared. Like Ordona, his body was pure light and covered with all types of symbols. "O Hero, thank you for returning my light back to me." It took most of Glenna's self-control to not shout that she had helped, too. "A terrible task has fallen upon you. As you already know, my fellow light spirits, Eldin and Lanayru, have had their light stolen, too. This means, naturally, that those providences have also been submerged in twilight, and they need your help. Before you go to help them, I need a bit more of your assistance. In this region, there was a large, once great, temple. It is still here, yet a strange darkness plagues it although the twilight has left.

"I must ask you to go down to the deepest basement, Hero, and cleanse it of all evil. It will not be easy. There is a very dark power called a Fused Shadow residing there. I'm afraid that magic is responsible for desecrating the temple in the first place." At this point Link nodded, and glanced down at his reflection.

He wasn't in his normal clothes anymore. Now he was donned in a green tunic complete with green hat and brown boots. "Like the ancient Hero…" whispered Glenna with reverence.

Faron nodded. "Exactly. Hero, there is… something about you. I believe that you are a gift from the Goddesses. Only you can save Hyrule from this peril… Go liberate the Forest Temple, Great Hero…" As quickly as the spirit appeared, it had disappeared into thin air.

Link and Glenna exchanged glances as the sun continued to rise in the sky. "Now what?" He asked.

Glenna laughed with too much energy. She was tired and her mind was about to snap. Or maybe it finally had. It took a few minutes for her to regain her composure. "Sorry, sorry." She inhaled a deep, steadying breath. "Anyway, we have to get to that temple. Not yet, though. I think we could both use some rest. After we go to the temple, we'll go to Eldin province and see if we can find the kids from your village."

She had turned and was starting back for Ordon when Link's words froze her in her tracks. "Is there something in it for you again?" Slowly, she turned her head to find Link's icy eyes piercing her tired, docile ones.

* * *

**A/n: Intense, or what? At first, I was separating those into two chapters. Then, the chapter was too small so I combined them. Hope this wasn't too long. Again, nothing too interesting, but I'll spice it up for the next chapter. Please review, and I'll see you next chapter!**


	6. Forest Temple Part 1

Chapter Six

**A/n: Well, my faithful readers, I figured that junior year would be a free ride, but that is not so. So I apologize for not updating, but I have been very busy… and without a computer. ._.;;**

**Once again, I thank you for your reviews (Catharsis xD)!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Zelda. Kay? Kay.**

"_Call this a mess, call me strong.  
Call me a mess, call me wrong.  
'Cause sick hearts do fine with wasting their time."_

**- "Sick Hearts" by the Used  
**

* * *

Due to Link's obvious anger at her, Glenna was stuck sleeping in the basement. Well, 'sleeping' really became fitfully tossing and turning.

She'd rather be curled up outside where there was light and warmth.

Every time she closed her eyes, she found herself picturing the invasion of Hyrule Castle and desecration of the Kingdom. And every time she thought of a new way she could have prevented it.

Then, there was what Link had said to her after he accused her at the spring.

_"Link, what are you talking about?" Glenna demanded as she turned in her tracks to face him. Obviously he'd kept all that he wanted to say, yell, scream to himself because communication as a wolf (especially with Midna around) wasn't exactly easy or pleasing for him. Now he'd let her have it, though._

_"Why didn't you tell me you were a shape-shifter. That the extra injuries you came to the village with were due to being pecked by a Kargaroc. Let's start with that." _

_Glenna shook her head and sighed. "Are we really going to argue about this when I'm about ready to collapse? Fine," she snapped as his glare deepened. "What would you have me do, Link? After I rescued Talo did you want me to add, 'Oh, by the way, did you meet a white wolf in the spring earlier? Guess what, she's me!' Would you have _believed _me? I didn't want to feel like an idiot or possibly get killed by the villagers or you."_

_Link opened then closed his mouth several times. "Why would we hurt you? It's not like you did anything wrong."_

_"Except taunt the hell out of your horse." Glenna remarked with a satisfied half-smile. "Well, I don't know Link, wolves are kind of a stigma. Didn't you hear Rusl and everyone else last night? They called wolves 'beasts' and automatically assumed you were responsible for the capture of the children. Does it seem worth the risk to spill your deepest, darkest secret when the people around you might kill you for it?_

_"My own parents couldn't _stand _to look at me. They banished me. So, excuse me if I don't trust total strangers." She finished with a snarl. _

_Link wasn't about to break his resolve. "Then, what about Talo? You didn't save him just because you 'happened' to be in the forest and wanted to do a good deed, did you?" _

_Glenna threw her hands in the air. "You're right. Obviously I was following him and considered eating him before you came. Then, when you arrived, I tried to be the hero. You're so right on that you should be having this conversation by yourself." Her lips twitched at her sarcastic and venomous joke. "No, Link. I saw him and figured I should save him. Did I consider he came from Ordon and figured saving him would get me a hand up with the mayor who I had to see anyway? Sure. _

_"But there was no 'master scheme' in what I did." A strange thought hit her. "You know, Ilia seemed awfully jealous when I was here. Did she put these foolish thoughts into your mind?" _

_"It doesn't matter. She's gone now. We better rest up if we want to be at the temple by nightfall." came Link's quick response as he brushed past Glenna. _

_She groaned. "Heading through the creepy forest at night? Yippee, I can't wait." _

At least it hadn't been a terrible argument. She'd made him see how wrong he was, hadn't she? Glenna was just so sick and tired of people assuming things about others. She was tired of having anything different -- like her -- be thrown into the "bad" category because they were different.

"Aw, cry me a river, blondie." Midna remarked, once again startling Glenna who fell off of the bed and onto the floor. "Get up, get up, we've gotta get going." She ordered, ignoring Glenna's cries of, 'I told you to stop doing that!'

Glenna rubbed her back as she sat up on the floor. All she could see of Midna was her outline and eye in the darkness. "How do you know what time it is? Besides, we need supplies."

The imp smacked Glenna upside the head. "Like I didn't already consider that? While you were crashing, I had him go into town to get whatever would help us. I figured you wouldn't exactly get a hero's welcome." grinned Midna.

It was news -- good news, at that -- to Glenna that she'd slept. She stood up and tried to figure out where she was in the darkness. "How do you know what time of day it is?"

"The fact that you're completely lost down here should be answer enough. Now, get going!" Before Glenna had the chance to ask Midna why she was so excited to get to the temple, the imp had dived back into her shadow.

Link held a lantern over the entrance to the basement. "Ready, Glenna?" Finally able to see, she walked over to the ladder and climbed out of the hole of a bedroom.

"You have no idea how much."

_**---------------------**_

The sun was setting as they passed Faron's spring. "I bought some milk and potion from Sera at her shop. They're all pretty distraught," informed Link of the village.

Glenna nodded. "I'd be too if I dealt with my kids getting captured, having a present for the Princess stolen from a beast, then supposedly betrayed by someone you thought you knew. Namely, I."

He shook his head as he shifted the sheath and sword on his back. Having returned to his human state, Midna had given Link the sword and shield since he had nothing else. Glenna, on the other hand, was still without her wonderful sword -- which was still at Telma's house. "Before I upset anyone, I should have asked Rusl to make me a sword. Still can't believe I never grabbed mine." She grumbled as they stopped at the gate before the tunnel leading to the forest.

"It's locked." Link stated unnecessarily. "I think Coro has the key."

Glenna raised an eyebrow as he led her down the other path where the shack was. "Is he Coro? He sure was pretty cowardly before I took care of those insects in his house."

Link aimed a glare over his shoulder. "If you were an average human and there were invisible bugs shocking you in your house, you'd be pretty scared, too, I bet."

"Nope, I was born with more courage than he has." She boosted.

"Between you and Midna, this journey may make me want to stab myself in the ears." He murmured as they came to a man sitting on a rock behind a pot.

"Yo, kid." He greeted Link with a smile. "You need something so late at night?"

"I need the key to the gate, Coro."

"Aw, no, man, you don't wanna go in there. There are some pretty bad monsters in the forest right now."

Glenna sighed. "I can guarantee you we've fought worse than a few Keese and Bokoblins."

Coro stared hard at her. She began to feel uncomfortable after a minute of feeling like he was looking through her. "You seem familiar, but I know I haven't seen you come through the field. That's weird, gal." He shook his head and held out a key in his hand. "Take it, and use your discretion, guys. It's pretty dangerous in there. Especially for a pretty girl with no sword."

"Thanks, Coro, but I can take care of myself." Glenna replied, snatching the key out of his hand before Link did.

_**---------------------**_

Shortly after the long walk from Coro's shack through the tunnel, Glenna groaned. They were stopped at the very beginning of the forest where the ground was completely covered in some sort of poisonous-looking smog. "Now what are we going to do?"

Link, who was standing a little before her with his lantern, shook his head. "I don't know."

As if she was the answer to their prayers, the girl monkey from before jumped out of a higher tree and landed in front of them. She snatched the lantern and began to wave it over her head. The smog cleared. "Who would've thought that a monkey could outsmart two Hylians," remarked Glenna under her breath before she and Link followed the monkey through the field.

Their walk went undisturbed until they passed under a large, curving root. Several Keese and one baba serpent seemed to be living under there. The monkey squeaked and covered her eyes, dropping the lantern. The smog almost immediately began to close in.

Before Link had time to react, Glenna unsheathed the sword from his back and swiped at the Keese, killing them all with one slash. She snapped the Baba's vine, and it began to crawl around on the ground. The monkey climbed onto Link's back. "Link cover your face for a minute," Glenna murmured before she held her breath and attacked the serpent as the smog closed in on them.

Two more slices from the sword banished the serpent.

The monkey jumped back onto the ground and waved the smog away with the lantern. Then, she started forward like nothing had happened at all.

Glenna smiled playfully and waved the sword in front of Link's face. "You can herd goats, and I can fight. We'll make a wonderful team, won't we?" She asked as he grabbed the sword and she followed after the monkey.

_**---------------------**_

The sun was nowhere to be found by the time Link and Glenna passed the bird's shop outside of Faron woods. They had long been abandoned by the monkey, who had abruptly dropped Link's lantern at the end of the forest.

Already, they had used up several bottles of potions due to the Deku Babas sneaking up on them and biting at them when they weren't paying attention. "Something tells me we'll need more potions and oil, so give me the bottles. You scout on ahead." Link did as Glenna asked. As he started up the slope, he glanced back and noticed Glenna tip-toeing into the shop.

"Be sure to pay for these! My sign has the prices." The bird shopkeeper told Glenna. She nodded and filled one bottle with oil and the other with potion. Then, she slowly walked away. "HEY! THEIF! STOP!" The bird flew off of his perch and began to peck at Glenna's head. She half-heartedly threw her arms over her head, so the bird pecked her arms instead.

Link shook his head and looked forward again. Something was glowing off to the side, reflecting moonlight. He walked over to see what it was.

He doubled over in the long grass and picked up a fine silver chain with a silver charm at the end. As he straightened up, he felt the ground beneath him give way. Barely suppressing a scream of terror, his fall broke short, and fell a few feet from where he had been standing.

The grassy platform he had landed on was much bigger than one would've thought. Especially for a secret platform. Something was snarling terrible behind him, and in mid-turn he was jumped by a large golden wolf with piercing red eyes.

He opened his eyes (not that he remembered closing them) to find himself in a different place -- possibly a different realm altogether. The ground was solid although they appeared to be standing on clouds. Hyrule Castle was right before him, the closest he'd ever been.

_'Foolish boy.' _As Link glanced over his shoulder, he noticed the golden wolf again. How could a wolf talk? It was at that moment he realized it was telepathically communicating, not that he much understood that, either.

Before his eyes, the wolf howled and transformed into a frightening figure. Link turned as he looked over the skeletal man below the heavy, ivy-covered armor. His shield was even covered in ivy.

"You're reaction time is poor. It would be very easy for the enemy to kill you from behind before you had a clue of what is coming." The man remarked, his red eyes one of the most visible features of his face, shrouded in darkness. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Luckily for you, you have only met the stupidest of enemies whose faces give away sneak attacks."

The sound of metal on metal chimed in the soundless atmosphere as Link slid his sword out of his sheath. "Who are you?"

The figure laughed with the warmth of an icy river in Snowpeak. "Who I am, or was, for that matter, matters no longer. Just refer to me as the Hero's Shade. Or Shade.

"You don the clothes of the Hero of Time, but I have doubts that you know their meaning. Doubts that you even _deserve _them." Link's facial expression was beyond seething. "Fear not, young one, I shall teach you how to become worthy."

Link straightened up, but the expression on his face was more than mistrusting. Why should he trust this shape-shifter -- his train of thought halted immediately. He was doing it again. Discriminating. Of course, there were plenty of other reasons not to trust the skeleton, but he would quietly grind his teeth together.

"Hold out your sword, like so," Shade demonstrated by holding his sword directly in front of him with the tip pointed at Link. "I will teach you the Ending Blow. First, you must knock down your opponent. If your opponent is not killed right away, you may use the Ending Blow to finish the job. When your opponent is flat on his back, simply stab your sword into him to finish him off." Shade jumped down with his sword pointed downward.

Shade held up his sword, and Link lightly met it with his own. "Now, come at me." ordered Shade as he kept his sword at his side. Link quickly ran at Shade and used a horizontal slash that knocked Shade flat on his back. Then, he jumped and rammed his sword into a wound already in Shade's chest.

In the same breath, Link pulled the sword out of the skeleton's chest and took a few steps back. "Not too bad, Rookie. If you want to become a true hero, then come find me again. You can locate me at the stones with no eyes that emit strange howling noises into the night. Fair well, Link."

Abruptly, Link appeared back on the hidden platform. He opened his mouth and closed it again, his unasked question hanging in his mind. _'How did he know my name? And what did that rhyme mean?' _Glenna's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Link, where are you? Stop playing around, already, let's go before this bird pecks through my head!"

Link seemed to realize where he was and looked around for a way up. He spotted some vines hanging off to the side. When he climbed back up, he found Glenna standing not too far off from where he was. "How did you…?"

"I've been a half-breed for so long that the extra senses sort of transferred over," she shrugged in reply. "Anyway, where were you?" Her eyes fell to the hole where he had fallen. A half-smiled upturned one side of her mouth. "A little clumsy, aren't we?"

"I saw something," Link made sure to exclude the word 'shiny', "and after I grabbed it, the ground gave way."

Glenna cocked her head to the side with interest as Link dug through his pocket for the necklace. He pulled it out, and she gasped. "Oh, hey! Hey, that's mine!" His eyebrows pulled together as she gently grabbed the chain out of his hands. "My grandfather gave me this when I was a baby. I never have taken it off in my life. When I was fighting through the forest, it must have fallen off."

"While this is a lovely trek down memory lane, I'd love to get _into _the temple before sunrise." Midna's growled with a no-nonsense type of tone. The two hylians jumped at her abrupt appearance while she floated up toward the temple. They quickly followed came up behind her as she stared around at the entrance with wonder. "This is a gigantic tree."

"Yeah. I bet it's the remainders of the Great Deku Tree from way back when." Glenna offered. Both Link and Midna looked at her with mildly surprised expressions. "What? The Princess has a huge library and I have more time than one would expect. Had, I guess I should say."

"Hm, maybe you'll be useful for other things later, Blondie. Let's go, anyway. I'm tired of waiting. That Fused Shadow is almost mine. C'mon!" Midna added impatiently when Link and Glenna continued to stand there.

"I _hate _spiders…" murmured Glenna as Link burned away the web with his lantern. Midna folded her arms and waited with her eyes glaring as Link put away his lantern. He placed both hands on the stone door (adorned with the symbol of the Kokiri and Farore, Glenna noted) and, with a grunt, pushed it open.

_**---------------------**_

"Wow, this temple is beautiful…" Glenna remarked with awe as they walked through the entryway. Dust and fireflies moved smoothly through the air as they walked into the room. She was willing to swear she heard Midna murmur something under her breath, but did not question the imp. "Hey, look, it's that monkey again!"

Link and Midna followed her index finger to the cage where the monkey was screeching and shaking the bars of her cage. As Link ran forward to rescue her, Midna remarked to Glenna, "Quite the Prince Charming, isn't he? Does he have a people-saving complex?"

"I think we have more to worry about than whether or not Link has an identity problem. Look," Glenna stated as a bunch of Bokoblins rose out of various bushes around them.

Midna raised an eyebrow. "How are you planning to fight all of these?" She asked, causing Glenna to raise an eyebrow in return.

"My hands, my feet… Aren't you going to help me?"

The imp simply cackled and dove back into Glenna's shadow. "You little bitch." she grumbled as the group of Bokoblins jumped at her. There were about seven. Well, it could've been worse.

"Glenna," Link called from a patch of vines that led up and out of the room; The monkey was no where in sight.

"Oh, don't worry about me," she responded while ducking to avoid a blow from a machete, "go on ahead, I'll be fine." She turned away and round-housed a few of the Bokoblins at once only to hear Link's footsteps on the ground. "You really do have a saving people complex, don't you?"

When she turned, Link wasn't directly behind her yet, and one of the Bokoblins hit the back of her head with the hilt of his machete. After Link felled one of the Bokoblins, he turned to find Glenna on the floor. "Glenna!" Due to his distraction, he was also knocked unconscious by a Bokoblin.

Midna jumped out of Glenna's shadow and pressed her fingers to her temples. "Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Can't you two do _anything _without me?" She closed her eyes as a large black and red energy ball formed in her hands. Once it reached a satisfactory size, she set it on the monsters surrounding the two hylians. Once the monsters were destroyed, the two awoke to Midna's disappointed stare. "Now, why don't we try to get out of the _entrance _before the night's up?" She suggested before diving into Link's shadow for the first time.

Somewhere on the next layer, the monkey was screeching bloody murder once again.

_**---------------------**_

There was silence between Link and Glenna during the time it took them to get up to the next level. **(A/n: If you didn't notice it yet, I changed the structure of the temple a bit.) **Glenna started forward, examining the extremely dark room. "Where did that monkey go now?" She blinked as something fell onto her shoulders.

Link raised his lantern her way and she noted that some white looking dust had fallen from the ceiling. She took a few more steps backward. It all happened very quickly: Link shouted and she heard then felt something heavy fall onto her. Glenna forced herself not to scream, but her body was in pain all over the place. She heard bones snap, too.

"I should've looked up sooner," growled Link under his breath before hanging the lantern on his belt and running forward with his sword held high. The large Skulltula crawled off of Link and into a distant, dark corner of the room. Now that the weight was off of her, Glenna's body felt even worse. Link kneeled by her, but she squeezed his hand quickly and painfully. "Don't you dare. Go kill that spider!"

As he quickly straightened up to do as he was told, he heard the scampering legs of the Skulltula behind him. With reflexes like a cat, Link turned and blocked its teeth from piercing his body. He slashed a few more times at the spider, but it was able to block every attack. "Haven't you ever faced a Skulltula before, Link? Attack it from behind!" Glenna ordered.

The Skulltula lunged forward again and Link rolled to the side and managed to slash it from behind. It turned as Link slashed again, using enough force to knock it down to the lower level. "That's one way to do it," muttered Glenna as she tried to stand. Her teeth were gritted in pain and her skin was abruptly pale, but she kept an impassive face overall.

Link sheathed his sword and held out the lantern again. "What's broken?" He asked, grimly as she leaned against a torch.

She, however, waved him off as she held up a red potion. "Don't worry about that. Just light up this room."

When the room was filled with light by Link lighting various torches, the monkey was clapping her hands in the middle of the room. There were only two doors: one in the north, and one to the west. The monkey ran to the north door. Link and Glenna exchanged glances, but followed the monkey nonetheless.

Link tried to push open the door, but it refused to budge an inch. The monkey stopped clapping her hands and seemed to stare at the door with disdain. He sighed and turned back to Glenna, who seemed to be fully healed. "I guess we'll just have to see where the other door leads."

"Brilliant deduction," replied Glenna with a Link. She had already been halfway to the door when he spoke. "So, let's see what lies behind door number two…"

"Wait!" Midna called, causing Glenna's arms to freeze as they made their way to the stone slab. Both hylians looked back at her. She was floating on the opposite side of the room, staring suspiciously at the wall. "I think that this is a _fake _wall…"

"How do you know?" asked Link, raising an eyebrow as the imp put her ear to the wall and knocked.

"Hollow," She replied. "I'll take care of it." A dark energy ball formed in her hands (Glenna noticed the monkey retreat into a corner) and slammed into the wall. Sure enough, it penetrated through revealing another door. "Alright, kiddies, time to split up."

Glenna sauntered across the room. "I'll go through door number three. Curiosity has got the best of me." She glanced back at Link who wore a skeptical expression. Skeptical, no doubt, of Glenna's abilities on her own. "Don't worry about me, Hero. I'll be fine. We'll meet back here… later. Whenever we have something worth showing the other?"

The imp nodded her agreement. "Good plan, blondie. Catch." Glenna barely managed to catch a shiny obsidian stone. "It'll help me get in contact with you." **(A/n: Same idea as the Pirate Charm from Wind Waker.) **Although she was suspicious, Glenna merely nodded and pocketed the stone.

"Ja ne," she called over her shoulder before pushing the door open and entering a dark room.

Midna cackled at Link's worried stare. "Trust the wolf, Link. She's not _totally _useless." With that, she disappeared into Link's shadow, leaving him completely and totally alone.

* * *

**A/n: Short, sweet, and to the point? I just really wanted to get this chapter up. Next chapter may or may not be the last… I wanted to split the temple into parts. Oh, and I might introduce some new OC's and bring in some other Zelda characters from different games. Please review. -heart-**


	7. Forest Temple Part 2

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**A/n: Quick note about last chapter. Glenna said "Ja ne" to Link which means "see ya" in Japanese. I hope that didn't cause too much confusion. Thanks, once more, for your reviews and favorites. Oh, and this chapter should be very fun. I'm bringing in one of my favorite Zelda characters.**

"_So nice to meet you  
I see right through that smile so in other words  
So nice to meet you  
I hope I never see your face again."_

**-"Devil Beside You" by the Used  
**

* * *

Almost immediately, Glenna was greeted by darkness as the door slid back into place behind her. As she took a step forward, she heard the sound of a metal lock and turned to find herself gated inside of the room. With a groan, she looked without seeing in the darkness. "I really should've gotten myself a lantern a long time ago," she sighed. "I guess I just have to hope for the best."

She started into the room, hoping dearly not to meet a monster or some sort of pit. After a few minutes of wandering through the room without an idea of where she was going, she stopped and looked around. _'I feel like I'm being followed…' _

A giggle echoed in the room, and Glenna looked around to find its source. "Who's there?!" Several giggles chorused together. Glenna backed up until she hit something hard. She felt behind her and found herself backed against a wall. There was more giggling.

"Don't be afraid, lady!" A small boy told her.

Even more giggling. "We just wanna _play_! Don't you wanna play with us?" A girl added.

Glenna shook her head and continued to feel against the wall for, hopefully, an open door. "No…" She replied with a nervous voice. She felt along the wall some more and finally found a door.

Somehow, she managed to slide it a little without turning around. Yet, it wouldn't open all the way. "For the love of _Farore_…." As if she had spoken the magic words, the door opened the rest of the way on its own and Glenna fell backwards into the next room.

She blinked and stared up at the ceiling but this room was as dark as the last. "Wonderful. Now what am I supposed to do?" There was no giggling, and Glenna hoped that it meant she was the only one in the room.

She pushed herself up against the door and turned. Even when she squinted and tried to adjust her eyes to the dark, she could see nothing. "I guess I'm taking another leap of faith." A good verb for it because as she took a few steps forward, she was falling, falling, falling.

_**---------------------**_

"Eee hee hee! So, dog-boy, what do you think we're looking for?" asked Midna as she floated beside Link as he wandered through the room.

Link threw her an irked glance. "Would you stop calling me that?"

"'Would you stop calling me that?'" repeated Midna in a shrill voice. She lightly shoved Link. "Come on, Hero. Find a sense of humor, huh?"

In response, Link waved a hand. "Forget it, forget it." He murmured as he dropped to his knees in front of some old-looking treasure chest. He dug inside of it and found a rusty key. "Well, it's a start."

The imp inclined her head slightly. "Yeah, but do you see a locked door around here? Better keep looking, Great Hero!" Without another word, Midna dove into Link's shadow, leaving him utterly confused and frustrated.

_**---------------------**_

At first, Glenna thought she was in another completely dark room. Then, she opened her eyes and looked up: the room was slightly lit by a couple of torches. The light was slightly blocked by the figure of a young girl.

Glenna jumped up immediately. The girl giggled quietly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." The girl smiled and tucked a strand of green hair behind her ear. "Are you alright? You fell quite a ways…"

"Yes, actually. I don't hurt like I should." remarked Glenna with some surprise. "I'm Glenna. I'm supposing that I owe you for my feeling no pain."

The green-haired girl smiled and adjusted her headband. "I'm--…"

"You know, you look like a Kokiri child. But I thought that they weren't around anymore." Glenna added, cutting off the girl.

The girl nodded. "Yes. This temple was created within the remains of the Great Deku tree. Once the Kokiri died out, the Great Deku tree became neglected and died. A few remaining Kokiri built this temple in memory of the Great Deku tree and the Kokiri children."

"If the Kokiri children died out, then…"

"Anyway, I'm sorry about the others scaring you. They're not used to having visitors, for obvious reasons. Ever since that dark power has risen up in this temple, the amount of monsters have scared away all the visitors." The girl smiled pleasantly, but Glenna had few doubts about what she was. There was no doubt in her mind the girl was a Kokiri. Except, most Kokiri had blond hair and blue eyes. Yet, she looked just as alive as Glenna…

"I want to help you fix this temple, but it was too dark for me to navigate through the other rooms. And one of the doors in the main room is stuck."

"Call me… Well, my name isn't that important," the girl said after a moment of hesitation. "I'll help you navigate this temple, okay, Glenna?"

_**---------------------**_

With the old key tucked in a pocket, Link headed down the hallway of the next room. It was long, but he could pick out a door at the end of it. There was no light to speak of illuminating the hall, so Link was holding his lantern high.

There was not a whole lot in the hallway except a grouping of pots here and there. In fact, they were almost suspicious to Link. He leaned over one of the groups and jumped back immediately as a white head poked out of a jar. "Oh, hello there! Listen, could you be a dear and help me out of this pot?"

Link tucked the lantern on the back of his tunic and gingerly picked up the pot the creature was inside and held it over his head. "Just throw me against a wall! Don't worry now." The creature remarked cheerfully. The pot was hurled at the dirt wall where it broke open with an audible clanging noise.

However, the creature (which very slightly resembled a Cuccoo) landed on its feet without a scratch. Another strange creature that looked like a small human head with tiny wings hovered over the other creature. Link wasn't quite sure what his reaction should be so he simply stared at the two creatures.

"Thanks so much, fellow adventurer! It seems that a stroke of luck on my part has caused our paths to cross. Well, why don't we travel together? I'm Ooccoo and this is my son, Ooccoo Jr."

Link fought the urge to blurt out, _'But what _are _you?!' _However, the bird-like creature seemed to pick up on his thoughts. With a wink, she remarked, "I'm an Oocca. Bet you've never seen one of us before, eh?" He shook his head in response. "I was searching this dungeon, but I found nothing of my interests. I can fit in your pocket, no, fellow adventurer? We're quite tired." With that, the two Oocca hopped into his pocket. Once they were gone, Link was still trying to get out a response.

_**---------------------**_

Although it was undoubtedly strange that the green-haired Kokiri refused to give her name, Glenna went along with her. After all, who knew the Forest Temple better than a Kokiri?

However, since Glenna had fell quite a ways down, they'd have to work their way up. Still, it could prove beneficial. Especially if they came across some important keys.

The girl led the way through the north door of the room. Glenna looked back at the southern door, but the girl remarked, "Not yet."

When she looked back, the Kokiri was at the other door, making Glenna wonder if she had just imagined the words.

_**---------------------**_

After disengaging the locks on the door at the end of the hall, Link entered to find himself in utter darkness. He lifted up his lantern, only to find himself out of oil. Muttering under his breath, he reached into his pack only to remember Glenna had the other bottle with oil. "Don't be such a chicken. We don't have all day to waste, so just get to it!" Midna's voice shouted from the safety of his shadow.

He only had to take a few steps into the room to find unstable ground. Whatever it was held him for half a second before something broke underneath him and he fell down into some sort of pit.

Link slammed to the ground with enough force to slightly shake the ground. Several small emerald eyes were glinting at him in the dark. Why did he feel like he'd just fallen into a trap? As one of the Skulltula dropped from the ceiling, he unsheathed his sword and rushed at it. At the last minute, he went to the right of it and sliced at it with his sword.

Just as the Skulltula blackened, he felt a sharp pinch in his left shoulder. Link whirled around with his sword in a spin attack to knock back yet another Skulltula. He could only assume where he was going in the dark with his only guide the spider's eyes. As he raised his sword to the Skulltula, he noticed another pair of emerald eyes with his peripheral vision. He slashed at the Skulltula to his right, pushing it back and angering it. At the same time, the other Skulltula scuttled forward.

He raised his shield in a last-ditch effort as the Skulltula to his right rushed forward again. With his shield blocking the one, Link used his sword to hold off the glinting sword of the other. Apparently when he'd fallen, he'd awoken the beasts. As he tried to prevent both monsters from killing him, his eyes traveled to an upper corner of the room. "Could you do something other than watch me struggle, Midna?!" He spat at the barely visible image of the imp.

Other than her piercing yellow eyes, white-edged silhouette, and high-pitched laugh, it was difficult to tell Midna was there. She wiped her eyes and took in a few breaths. "How about you say the magic wooord?" responded the imp, drawing out the last word.

"Midna!" Link shouted as one of the Skulltula began to bite at his shield.

Midna snapped. "Bingo!" She put her hands close together, harnessing energy. Slowly, a black ball with an orange middle began to grow and grow until Midna saw it fit to hurl it at the Skulltula. The energy ball instantly killed the Skulltula that had been chewing Link's shield. The other, Midna decided, was Link's to take care of.

Link slammed his shield into the spider's face, dazing it. With his sword raised, he brought it down and slammed it into the Skulltula's side. The sound was quite sickening, but the spider disappeared in an explosion of smoke. Then, as if by magic, the whole area became lit. At the same time, another chest with the royal seal appeared.

He reached inside of it and found… a compass. Link frowned just as Midna swooped down and snatched it out of his hand.

She also took out the map and put the compass over it. To her slight surprise, as she pressed down further, the compass became one with the map with a blast of light. When it was clear, Midna stared at the map and located Glenna, a bunch of Kokiri, a skull, a few skull kids, and the monkey.

Midna handed the map over to Link with a smug smile. "May as well meet back with Blondie now, huh? Of course, it may still take a while for her to get back…"

_**---------------------**_

Panting, Glenna reached one hand off of the ivy and pulled herself up on the ledge. The Kokiri girl moved too fast for her to keep up at a healthy pace. Said girl giggled from where she waited at another door. "We're almost back to the room you started in, Glenna."

Glenna managed to nod and slowly drag herself to the door. Once again, the girl led the way into the next room. She started forward in the room to be at her side, but was stopped by a flung out arm. "Look," murmured the Kokiri. Look she did. The large pit that Glenna must've fallen down was just a few inches before them. "We don't want to start over again, do we?" She asked pleasantly. "But how do we get around…?" Her blue eyes scanned the room until she spotted a tiny ledge at the west side of the room.

Glenna noted that, while the room had seemed pitch black before, the room seemed much brighter. In fact, the girl seemed to give off her own light. She also noticed that their were fireflies floating through the air. Every aspect of the room seemed more alive with the Kokiri in it. "I hope you're good at sidling, Glenna. I'll go first, okay?"

The Kokiri pressed herself against the wall and slowly but surely inched across the very small ledge. Glenna followed almost immediately after. Balance was part of the very small list of where Glenna could not go wrong. She crossed across the ledge with almost no problem.

When they reached the door, Glenna grabbed the girl's wrist. "Wait. We can't go in there. There are a bunch of… I don't know, evil little munchkins or something in there."

Somehow, the Kokiri girl could laugh but looked ashamed at the same time. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. You'll see." She insisted at Glenna's hesitance.

They reached the room where Glenna had felt she was being followed and, once again, the Kokiri girl seemed to give off her own light. Enough light so Glenna could see where she was going. "Come on out, everyone. Come on," she added with a note of impatience when nothing happened.

At once, the room was illuminated by torches all around the room. Taking up most of the space in the room was a large lake. The sight of it made Glenna gulp and thank the Goddesses for her not falling into it by accident. In the center of the lake was an average-sized piece of land. On it were grouped a few blond children clothed in green as well as a couple very creepy looking kids. These, Glenna assumed, were Skull Kids.

"Saria!" One of the blonde girls shouted.

A Skull Kid raised his horn. "Yay! Saria's back to play with us."

"Saria?" Glenna almost demanded in a quiet whisper. The green-haired Kokiri turned toward her with a hesitant smile.

"I know I should've told you my name, but I wanted to get you back to safety before telling you. After all, knowing that you were traveling with a ghost wouldn't be very reassuring, would it?" Saria asked with a sad, knowing smile.

Glenna blinked. "A ghost? But you look real to me…"

Several of the Kokiri children nodded. "Yes, yes! We're all ghosts, aren't we? None of us are really real."

"So is this a figment of my imagination?"

Saria shook her head and closed her eyes as she patted the wall -- part of the tree, Glenna noticed. "No, we could sense that there was something wrong with this temple -- the pride and joy of the denizens of these woods. Or at least, that past denizens. Anyway, when we sensed something was wrong, a small number of us were able to come back to see if we could do anything. Yet, we couldn't. So we've been waiting for someone to come back.

"Of course I would be one of the group to return." The pale eyelids disappeared to reveal beautiful azure eyes on Glenna. "When I saw you, I had a feeling that you were going to help. Then, I sensed that you were traveling with someone like _him_. Of course I had to help," remarked Saria with a kind smile. Glenna didn't bother to ask who 'he' was.

"So this lady isn't going to do bad things like the others?" asked one of the Kokiri boys with childish curiosity. Saria shook her head. The Kokiri boy looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, lady. We didn't mean to scare you, but we thought you were going to hurt the temple, so we had to get you to go away."

Simultaneously, Saria and Glenna shook their heads. "It's alright. Of course I want to help restore the temple to its former beauty. I should have figured out that you were Saria," she added, facing said Kokiri girl. "The light that you gave off and the fireflies that could suddenly appear… Of course you would have to be that famous sage." **(A/n: I realize the seven sages were, most likely, probably never awoken in the timeline that Twilight Princess appears on, by the way.) **Saria smiled and her cheeks burned a slight red.

"I want to help, but my friend and I were having trouble getting past one of the doors in the previous room. It was stuck," stated Glenna. "Can you help us?" All of the Kokiri and both of the Skull Kids nodded.

"We'd love to!" They replied as one.

_**---------------------**_

"Nice of you to join us, Blondie," yawned Midna as Glenna entered the room they had separated in. She was lounged against a torch and had one eye open.

Link pushed himself to his feet and walked over to meet her as she walked further into the room. She noted the dry blood on various parts of his body. "I see that I can fall fifty feet and _still _look better than you." He gave her a bewildered look, but she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, I found something that might help us delve further into this temple. Or, should I say, some _people_."

As she said this, the group of Kokiri children, two Skull Kids, and Saria entered the room. All but Saria ran to the door that wouldn't open leaving Glenna to introduce the sage. "I know this may sound, but they're all ghosts. But they were summoned back here to protect the temple from further harm. This is…---" "Saria." Link mumbled, the words falling out of his mouth in surprise. It was quite the surprise to see a famous sage who Link had only ever seen in books breathing in front of him.

She tiled her head a little to the left and smiled. "Yes, I'd imagine that this is what he grew up to look like."

"Hey, look, we're getting it!" One of the Kokiri boys shouted as the door was opened a couple of inches. The monkey got up and began clapping her hands.

Saria, Glenna, and Link joined in to help open the door the rest of the way while Midna continued to lounge with a bored expression. When the door was opened the rest of the way, the kids fell back as their bodies became more and more opaque. "I guess that means that our work here is almost finished, but… not yet," added Saria as she was still very much solid. "I'll join you soon!" But when Glenna and Link looked back, the Kokiri and Skull Kids were gone.

_**---------------------**_

The sun was beginning to rise. The door had led the trio (and Midna, who had ducked back into Link's shadow) outside. They only had one place to go -- across the bridge straight ahead of them. "So that's where it's coming from," mumbled Saria. She turned to Link and Glenna with a passive face. "I've been sensing another being not too far off. A distress call of sorts. It must be coming from that area." She was pointing at the only place they could go -- a door at the other side of the bridge.

The monkey was at the beginning of the bridge jumping up and down and pointing at the same door. Something was obviously distressing her, as well. "I sense an evil aura, and I think this monkey can, too. Can you two handle things?" asked Saria with an unsure expression.

Link and Glenna nodded. "We'll be fine." He assured her.

"Only, I don't have a decent weapon on me at the moment…" murmured Glenna.

Saria looked hesitant for a second. Then, she nodded. "I can help you with that. It will probably be very hard for you to use since it's like a dagger for someone your size, but it's better than nothing." The sage mused to herself. She closed her eyes and held out her hands likes someone might place something into them. A green light appeared for half a second, leaving behind a small sword. "It's a Kokiri sword. It was… very important to the Kokiri. Whenever you no longer need it, can you put it somewhere that you value in this province? I think that it has been lost for too much time." Glenna agreed before she and Link left Saria on the opposite side of the bridge and entered the room with the evil aura.

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**A/n: I wasn't planning to end this in a cliffhanger again, but I'm sick and I was afraid I wouldn't get up another chapter and I'd lose the readers I have. So, try not to be too angry. Next chapter will be the last chapter of the temple, I promise! Please review and we'll meet again next chapter.**


	8. Forest Temple Part 3

-CHAPTER EIGHT

**A/n: The music I listened to over and over again was Zant's Battle 3 and 4 from the Twilight Princess OST. If you think the chapter's a bit odd -- including the mid-boss's setting, you can blame the music. :3 **

**Once again, I thank you for all your reviews. Well, one review. xD Please keep reading & reviewing.  
**

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The room was a sharp contrast to its extremely dark aura. Sunlight was filtering through the ceiling as well as through some of the walls. All that the room looked like was a field with walls around it. "It sure doesn't look like there's anything dangerous in here," remarked Glenna as she and Link entered the room a bit further.

"Well, they do say that seeing is believing." A male voice that sounded a lot like Link's replied. Link looked around, astounded just as Glenna glanced sharply at him. "How foolish can you two be? I reside in the shadows of the good -- a true reflection of myself." The mysterious man added, leaving Glenna and Link to chew on riddles.

"Like a Twili," murmured an awed Midna as she suddenly appeared alongside the two Hylians. For once, they did not jump at her abrupt appearance. "Don't you two get it?" She added in a more chiding tone.

Glenna nodded. "Sure. Shadows of the good… This room appears to be all light and no dark, but in the corners…" Three pairs of eyes drifted over to the northeast, shadowed corner of the room. All that was visible from the shadows was a pair of glinting red eyes. "Goddesses!" cried Glenna, backing up half a pace as Link put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Eee hee hee! A shadow of what? Let's see!" There wasn't an inch of Midna's face that appeared alarmed. Then again, if she was from the Twilight Realm, then such antics wouldn't taunt her.

"Reveal myself? Not until we're on _my _turf." The shadowed male replied. He snapped and the room shifted before their eyes -- and beneath their feet. Link and Glenna fell onto, what seemed, to be the bottom floor of the newly transformed room. Midna surveyed the new room which had several floors. That was not, however, what interested her the most. It was the fact that the room defied gravity. There were staircases down some walls, other staircases that were upside down, and doorways on walls that could also be the floor for some labels. **(A/n: In short, this room now looks like M.C. Escher's **_**Relativity **_**lithograph. If you have no clue what it is… google it otherwise you won't understand this part of the chapter.) **

Now shadows were cast around the room like there was no tomorrow, but the one responsible for the room's transformation was standing proudly -- on the ceiling. If his voice didn't sound like Link's (a little huskier than his), he sure did look like him. Except for the ashen skin, black outfit, and piercing red eyes, they could have been twins. "Oh, this is too good," cackled Midna as she floated over to a railing and settled down on it.

The Ordon Sword chimed as Link slid it out of its scabbard. Glenna held the Kokiri Sword in front of her although it was more like a dagger in her hands. The dark copy of Link chuckled. "I always expected my reflection to be wielding something more than a garden-variety sword. Then again, I never expected a woman to be helping him, either." Glenna raised an eyebrow as Link raised his sword.

"Your 'reflection'? Who _are _you?" demanded Link.

The other Link chuckled. "Are you stupid? I'm your _shadow_. Everything you're not -- yet, I am everything you are."

"A dark Link?" inquired Glenna in a quiet murmur.

"Exactly!" shouted Dark Link before running forward with his longer, black sword. If this Link really was a reflection of Link, thought Glenna, then why wasn't his sword the same? "Years and years spent waiting and wasting my time. But yet, I have been lucky enough to come upon you. I guess time isn't a bad thing wasted, after all." The doppelganger remarked with a sadistic grin as he jumped up with his sword raised over his head. Glenna moved to the side although she knew she wasn't the target.

Link raised his sword to block Dark Link's. He landed on his feet and was slightly set off balance, which Link took advantage of by using a horizontal slash. Dark Link dodged but knocked into the wall. When Link struck out again, Dark Link was ready and easily blocked with his sword. Frowning slightly, Link tried a vertical slash to one of his counterpart's shoulders, but Dark Link was ready to block him again.

Dark Link feigned an upward slash, which Link attempted to block, then stabbed at his stomach. Link groaned and Dark Link forced him up a set of stairs. Glenna watched as their swords continued to clash as they moved upward on the stairs and disappeared through a doorway. She quickly took a different doorway in hopes of cutting them off.

When she arrived on the next floor, she found Link and Dark Link but they appeared to be fighting on the wall directly in front of her. In fact, they were moving upward on the wall. Glenna rubbed her eyes, but they were still dueling in a way that gravity shouldn't have allowed. Link slashed outward and, instead of blocking, Dark Link jumped onto the blade, forcing it to the ground. From there, he slashed at Link and knocked him to the ground. From Glenna's angle, the way Link was laying should have made him fall into the abyss below.

"Hey, Blondie. Over here!" Glenna looked up at the imp's voice to find Midna hovering over her upside down.

"Is all the gravity in this room messed up?" murmured the hylian desperately. Midna flipped herself right side up and cackled.

"Just making your life a little harder!" She ignored the blonde's angry protests as her eyes flitted toward the two Links. "Haven't you noticed something? That Dark Link is a fast learner; he seems to know how to get around Link's attacks pretty fast. Not to mention that, but he's learning how to use all of Link's little fighting flaws to his advantage. If I were you, I'd enter the fray to try to shake things up a bit. After all, he's not _your _copy."

Although she was still slightly puzzled, Glenna took Midna's words as advice and darted up another staircase that she thought would put her on the same level as the Links. Much to her dismay, she was now hanging on the floor directly above them; To them, it would look like she was walking on the ceiling. Dark Link flipped over Link's slow-moving form and knocked him forward before he could turn and defend himself. _'Link must be getting tired,' _Glenna thought, biting her lip. Dark Link was shifting his sword in his hands; he appeared to be readying himself for the final blow.

Glenna pushed her feet against the ceiling and almost swam through the atmosphere. **(A/n: According to that painting, what she just did isn't possible, but I don't care. :]) **The gravity from the Links' floor pulled her in and plunged her on top of Dark Link before he could finish off his "other". She quickly pulled herself up and waved the Kokiri sword in front of Dark Link. "Let's see how you are in a fair fight, shall we?"

Dark Link swept at her feet -- a move she'd been waiting for -- and Glenna quickly jumped over the dark sword. He jumped to his feet and rushed at her while she was still getting her balance back. He slammed his sword forward, and Glenna quickly raised her own to block him. Being such a small sword in comparison, it did not block very well and Dark Link was able to cut into her skin a little by angling his sword.

Although she could sense how much he wanted to take Link, he appeared to be humoring her. Upon this realization, Glenna gritted her teeth together and kicked as hard as she could into the doppelganger's stomach. He fell to one knee from the blow, and Glenna took advantage of this by stabbing her sword into his left shoulder. At the same time, Link used a horizontal slash on Dark Link's back.

An abrupt ground spin attack sent both Link and Glenna flying off of the floor and into the dark abyss below.

They reappeared in the original room although there was no hole in the ceiling that they could have fallen in through. Dark Link also appeared to be missing from the picture. Instead, a monkey with a dark aura surrounding him was standing at the north edge of the room. In his hand was a bone-white boomerang with a visible black aura around it.

The monkey screeched at the sight of them, and threw its boomerang at the ceiling. There was the slight sound of vines being cut, and then Glenna and Link were surrounded by Baba Serpents with blue saliva spewing from their mouths. Link was able to take on two at a time while Glenna had to move into the closest point possible to one of the serpents to get in an attack. Link took out the other serpents around her as she finished off the one. "I really have to get used to this close-range weapon," she murmured almost apologetically to him.

They ran toward the monkey, who was jumping up and down and screeching even louder than before. "Link, there's something on its head. It must be causing that evil aura," remarked Glenna as they closed in on the baboon. "But I can take care of this one." She jumped as high as she could and, with careful aim, skewered the insect clear off of the monkey's head and splattered it on one of the walls. The insect blackened before exploding into a million pieces of dust.

The baboon looked at the boomerang in his hand as if he wasn't sure how it had gotten there before looking at Glenna and Link. Obviously spooked, he threw the boomerang into the air before making his getaway through a window.

_**---------------------**_

Saria ran across the bridge to meet them as they came out of the room. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the Gale Boomerang. "Take good care of it -- it's a very sacred treasure." The smile began to fade at the aghast expressions of Link and Glenna. "What's wrong?"

"S-Saria, you're fading!" cried Glenna. The ex-sage looked down and also noticed that her body was becoming steadily more translucent.

Much to their surprise, Saria looked hardly alarmed. In fact, she looked almost relieved. She dropped her head to the side and stared at the hylians with a thoughtful expression. "I think we'll meet again. But now you have to finish helping me by taming the awful monster causing damage to the temple. Go through the room where you meet the Kokiri children, and from there you'll find the room."

"Wait, wait. Saria, what about that other room you told me about? The one you said I didn't have to worry about until later?" asked Glenna hastily. Link appeared confused, but Saria only continued to smile.

"I think it won't help you now. Later, though. Keep it in the back of your mind. Take care you two. I'm so happy to have met you both. It… brings back memories," added Saria hesitantly as her gaze fell on Link. "You really do look a lot like him, you know. Goodbye,"

Link and Glenna exchanged slightly perplexed looks, but Glenna managed to shake off her confusion in order to lead Link back to the room Saria had mentioned.

_**---------------------**_

The room with the lake was still scarcely lit by a few torches. They waded through the water to the middle island and then swam to the door Glenna had not yet been through. She sucked in a breath. Going through rooms in the temple usually yielded bad results for Glenna, but without the ghost children, she probably had less to worry about.

"But more at the same time," snickered Midna, startling the hylians with her abrupt appearance. Her sentence made Glenna wonder if the imp could still see her thoughts. "After all, everyone's been talking about the dark creatures that were summoned by the Fused Shadow. I wonder what kind of beast is lying in the room with it now."

The next room was extremely large. A large abyss took up the majority of space in the room, and Link could see no way across it. There was another door and platform all the way across the abyss. Broken bits of wood and rope that may have once served as a bridge hung over either side of the platforms. Yet, there was no longer a way to get to the door that probably held the Fused Shadow.

Or so they thought.

A quiet squeak told them that they were not alone. The female monkey from before was also in this room, but on what appeared to be a huge nest off to the side of the room. She was jumping up and down and pointing at the ceiling, but Link and Glenna were still confused.

Out of nowhere, the male monkey from earlier swept in the room, passed up Link and Glenna, climbed vines up the ceiling, and hung from vines on the ceiling. The vines went all the way to the other side of the room. "I see that we're taking the safe way across," noted Glenna with something of distaste in her dry tone.

Link went over to the wall, grasped the vines, and shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever gets us across. Don't tell me you're afraid of heights." He began to climb, so he did not hear Glenna's meek reply. However, she half-heartedly climbed up after him, and bit down on her lip as they started their long way across the ceiling.

_**---------------------**_

After safely touching down on the other side of the room, Link and Glenna entered their last dor of the dungeon.

The room was lit up by an eerie orange light completely with dangerous-looking purple water. Glenna picked up a stick and hurled it into the water; It bubbled and burned away. She looked back at Link and winked. "Rule number one, stay out of the water."

"According to your map, this is the room where the monster with the Fused Shadow is," Midna remarked before folding the map and putting it back into Link's pocket. "But I wonder where it could be? Eee hee hee!"

Midna disappeared back into Link's shadow just as the water began to bubble further back. Link unsheathed his sword as did Glenna. Both took a few steps back. While Link's eyes focused on the water, Glenna's were scanning the room.

An ugly, two-headed beast slightly resembling a Deku Baba sprang out from the depths, spraying the room with the poisonous water. Link quickly raised his shield to protect their faces, leaving the rest of their exposed skin to get burned by little drips of the water. The two beasts periodically opened their mouths to let some of their poisonous saliva mix in with the rest of the water. Glenna grimaced as Link lowered the shield. At the same time, an idea formed in her head.

"My sword won't help me here, Link, so can I borrow that boomerang?" He handed it over to her without question, and Glenna threw it at one of the bomb-like creatures in the room. A gust of wind seemed to propel with the boomerang to the creature, and carried back both items back to her hands. Glenna quickly ran to the water's edge and hurled it at one of the baba's while it's mouth was open. The monster closed its mouth and the bomb exploded inside. It withdrew its head below the water.

Glenna jumped with joy while Link merely grinned. "It's like a game," she remarked gleefully. He approached another one of the bomb-like creatures that was near the water and threw it at the other monster. It also closed its mouth and withdrew into the water after the bomb exploded. "A sadist's game." Link agreed.

"I wonder if that's it?" Glenna half-asked as she stopped at Link's side and looked into the thick, violet water.

Link shook his head. "Doubtful." As he said it, the monster resurfaced, raising more poisonous water with it. Again, he raised his shield, but brought himself and Glenna down to their knees as well. Bits of the water ate through more layers of their skin and clothes. When they stood up, they found that the monster had three heads this time around. The third head that had risen between the other two had a longer neck and an eye inside of its mouth. They also found that the two original heads were ready to take an offensive stance. They dropped their heads on either side of Link and Glenna, trapping them before the larger head.

Glenna quickly hurled the boomerang at the third head to keep it preoccupied. The other two heads were suddenly hanging over her and Link with poison dripping out of their mouths and onto their skin. Link stabbed into the mouth of one of the Deku Baba's as it flung its face before his. Glenna slashed off the tongue of the other one to prevent it from eating her whole. The third flung its head forward as well, knocking them both into the wall at the beginning of the room.

Their bodies ached as they rose again. However, they were pleased to find two of the heads were gone from the minor attacks. "Now we just have to take care of that one. I can distract it, and you can throw your sword at that eye inside of its mouth." Glenna suggested as they dusted themselves off the best they could. Link half-heartedly agreed.

She ran before the monster and headed off to the left. As expected, the monster turned its head toward her. "Come on you big, ugly plant! You look hungry, and I'm sure that I look delicious!" Glenna shouted in a weak attempt to… anger the monster. It growled, blowing more of its saliva into her face. She quickly ducked her head to avoid most of the damage. At the same time, she noticed Link's sword sailing through the air. The monster howled with pain as the sword pierced its eye. Glenna backed off against the wall as its head fell heavily to the floor.

When the monster's body decayed to a black color before bursting into little particles all over the room, the effects of its destruction were felt almost immediately. The poisonous purple water became clear and crisp once again, and Glenna could feel the evil leave the temple.

Midna grabbed the Fused Shadow that was left behind and simply stared at the duo, one of which was jumping up and down. "You're celebrating after _that _tiny spat? Don't get too excited -- that parasite couldn't have used the Fused Shadow to its full potential, but I have a feeling a creature with limbs will have better luck. Anyway, when you two are ready to go, we can get out of here and head east to Eldin."

"Leave so soon, after we finally restored beauty to this place?" asked Glenna before wading into the now clear, cool water.

The imp quirked an eyebrow. "You realize that that water was poisonous just a second ago, right? Don't you have enough sense to think before you do something so… risky?"

Glenna waved her off and picked Link's sword out of the water. "It's just the opposite now. I feel a million times better. That poison isn't bothering me anymore." She swam back to the shore and held out the sword to Link.

As he held out his hand to take it, she switched hands and yanked him in by his wrist, causing him to tumble into the water.

If Glenna was to be honest with herself, then she was afraid. She had faced bad things, frightening things, but now everything was set in perspective. If they screwed up, _everyone _would pay. And carrying the world and expectations on her shoulders wasn't something Glenna was used to.

Link lay on his back in the water, unaware of Glenna's thoughts as she stared at him. _'Maybe this won't be so bad after all.' _

Sure enough, as Glenna had said, Link felt healed.

* * *

**A/n: Two fights in one chapter? Oh, boy! Next chapter it's back into the twilight which should be… fun. **

**I want to clear up a few things about the Dark Link fight since I gave him my own back story. He was summoned or whatever during the OoT game, but Ganondorf was imprisoned in the timeline TP is part of, so Link never came to fight him in the water temple. Therefore, he came to the Forest Temple because he was drawn by the darkness and found Link. Yippee. And, yes, his weapon is the 'Master Sword'. See you next chapter!**


	9. An Explosive Start

CHAPTER NINE

**A/n: In case you guys haven't heard, there's a new Zelda game coming out at the end of this year. They just announced it. It's called (for now) Zelda: The Spirit Tracks. It's for the DS. Look it up on youtube! If you're like me and didn't much care for Phantom Hourglass, then you probably aren't too excited for it to come out. xD**

**Disclaimer - All I own is this "plot" and Glenna.**

_"I'm not always like this._

_It's something, I become._

_A terrible weakness_

_In my nature, in my blood."_

**-"Glittering Cloud" by Imogen Heap  


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Glenna fought valiantly for the option to rest. Judging by the sun, it had to have been around late morning. However, she was quickly and easily thwarted by Midna. She was thwarted only because Link agreed with her. He agreed that they needed to get moving. A smug Midna remarked, "Besides, I thought that water _healed _you."

Although she didn't say it, Glenna had hoped they could stop back in Ordon Village and have Rusl make her a new sword. Well, Link would have to stop back in the village; They probably wouldn't think highly of her after taking off with a thieving wolf.

It wasn't that the Kokiri Sword wasn't an able sword because it was. However, in Glenna's hands, it was more like a dagger and she wasn't too fond off short-reach weapons. Still, she remained quiet as they passed Coro and headed into Hyrule Field for the first time.

The instant they stepped past Faron's archway, they seemed to be ambushed by Bokoblins. Link reacted quickly and fell the first pink Bokoblin that ran at them. Glenna's immediate reaction was to roundhouse a nearby purple Bokoblin.

"I see the twilight invasion hasn't decreased the amount of monsters," remarked Glenna when they reached the end of the small, enclosed road lined with trees and came to the mouth of Hyrule Field. There were more Kargarocs flying in the air usual as were there more Bokoblins. Glenna had to wonder if they'd been pushed out of the other provinces with twilight.

In the distance, the sunlight seemed to be drawn to the black twilight entrances to Lanayru and Eldin. "It sure is beautiful, though," murmured Glenna.

"I wonder which province we should take first?" asked Link to no one in particular.

Glenna became thoughtful. "Well, taking care of Lanayru first would alert Zant to the fact that someone's getting rid of the twilight. Then, he would take it upon himself to find those responsible and kill them. When that's finished, he would reinstate twilight everywhere. Tactic tells me going to Eldin would be the smarter choice." Aside from that, Glenna had to admit that she wanted to go back and help Kakariko Village which she had abandoned in order to help Zelda. Either way, Zelda wouldn't have been helped. "But, if you're still considering taking Lanayru first, I'll race ahead and check it out."

Link's eyebrows furrowed together at her words. In response, Glenna shut her eyes and allowed her bones to shift until she was in her white wolf form. He nodded almost immediately and smiled. Of course traveling as a wolf would be much faster than traveling on two feet. "Go ahead. I'll meet you at the stream."

With that, Glenna took off as fast as she could north where the Castle was usually visible in the distance. Her paws padded over the small bridge that was over the stream and leveled the uneven ground. There were distance howls from Wolfos as she ran to the entrance to Lanayru, but she ignored them. She never came to the telltale wall of twilight. A bunch of rocks were blocking off the entrance to even the twilight. She growled as her eyes traveled to the top of the rocky walls surrounding the field. It looked like someone had caused a chunk of the top to drop in front of the entrance to the twilight. Coincidence? Glenna doubted it.

Nonetheless, she met back up with Link at the stream just as he took out a few Kargarocs. She sat at the edge of the water with her tail wagging until he was done. "How's the path look?" He asked when he came to her side.

Midna jumped out of Link's shadow in order to serve as translator. As wolves, Link and Glenna could communicate with each other, however Glenna could not use telepathy with a human. "She says that someone blocked off the entrance with rocks. Probably Zant's idea in order to block entrance to Lanayru. Not that it stopped you," she remarked to Glenna slyly. "So I guess we're going to Eldin. Let's go!" With that, she dropped back into Link's shadow.

_**------------------**_

When they reached the entrance to Eldin, Midna leapt back out of Link's shadow and approached the black wall with a look of fondness in her eyes. Link wondered if the twili missed her home much; her attitude always seemed to be uplifted when they were in the twilight.

"Back at last. So, are you two ready to face another round of twilight?" she asked with her hands on her hips and a large smile on her face. Link agreed, as did Glenna. Midna jumped through the twilight then pulled them through with her large pony tail-hand.

Glenna's eyes adjusted almost immediately to the twilight. It did help, naturally, that she had been in the exact place before. The same Twilight Beasts were patrolling the area before the bridge. Or, at least, where the bridge _had _been. _'That's right, the bridge is gone.' _ remarked Glenna as they closed in on the monsters.

Midna, who was riding on Link's back, and said wolf threw her sharp looks. "Why didn't you mention this sooner? Oh, Blondie..." sighed Midna. "It's just as well, but I can't think of where a spare bridge is lying around. Can you?" She added to Link. Before he could answer, she waved him off. "Doesn't matter. We have to kill those beasties first so that we have a way _back _here. Go on, get to taking care of them."

Glenna rushed forward at one of the beasts with its back turn. She jumped and angled herself so that she could reach in and bite its throat while she was safely on its back. In the meantime, Link approached the other two beasts and Midna threw up a forcefield that trapped the two monsters. Then, she dropped it and with a rubberband-like force, Link snapped to one then another, killing both in a matter of seconds. At the same time, Glenna made short work of her beast with a few chomps to the throat. The particles that were left behind reformed to make a working, blue portal hang in the sky above them.

"Oh, I remember a place. Blondie, you stay here. No use in me wasting extra energy if it's unnecessary. Back in the north side of Faron Woods." announced Midna in a broken, confusing way. With that, she and Link disappeared into broken black particles that entered the portal and disappeared from view.

If they were going to leave her behind, Glenna figured, she may as well look around.

_**------------------**_

Link found the return to the Light world, even after just a couple minutes or so, to be refreshing. They landed directly in front of the large bridge that was leaning against the side of the cliff. Midna leapt off of Link's back and gravitated into the air. "What a quaint little place to stick a bridge. Certainly not obvious at all. Oh well. Let's take this back to Blondie." Midna grabbed the bridge, although it had to weigh three times more than her. She disintegrated it into twilight particles, then Link, and finally herself.

When they reappeared in Eldin, the bridge neatly dropped over the large gap, followed by Link and Midna. Glenna ran to meet them in the center of the bridge. _'This is one large bridge. I can't imagine it was too hard to find.' _

Midna shrugged meekly as her eyes narrowed at the distance. "So, there's a village beyond here, huh? With monsters, right?" She shot a look at Glenna for an answer. The wolf inclined her head ever so slightly. "Well, let's pay them a visit. The next spirit must be in that village." She kicked Link's side like he was a wolf, and he took off like a bullet with Glenna following a little bit behind.

She was following an orange trail that only she can see. For the few minutes that Link and Midna were gone, she had found a toy sword with the scent of three children on it. Not just any children, though: the children from the village. She figured that she should mention it to Link as the scent was heading in the same direction as them. _'While you two were gone, I picked up on the scent of the kids from Ordon. They must be in Kakariko Village.' _

Even though they were extremely far ahead, Midna and Link could pick up on her transmission. _'Were you going to wait until we found them to say anything?' _asked Link in an understandably anger tone.

_'Sorry, I figured working out a game plan was more important. Do you think I was planning on keeping it to myself so I could, what, find them myself and eat them?' _growled Midna as she caught up with them. Now Link was stopped in the middle of the path, facing Glenna was bared teeth.

"Children, children, quit your belly aching. We first have to make sure the children are _in _the village and alive." remarked Midna because she knew it would not ease the tension. Glenna and Link faced the gate to Kakariko and ignored each other's existence. "Funny, is that _blood _on that gate? Hmm. I wonder whose it is! Eee hee hee!"

As they stood there, dawdling, a fire arrow flew just past Link's right ear. Glenna turned toward the west to find its source, but she couldn't see anything. At least, not until another flaming arrow was notched. They evaded it. "Just ignore them. Let's get going," ordered Midna as she tugged on Link's ear. When they reached the gate, they could find no way over it.

Link sniffed around and spotted a hole. "Hold on. There are two more beasts with arrows on the other side. We should get a distraction so that we don't get shot down." Midna suggested, shooting a smug smile over at Glenna.

_'If this distraction is killed by a flaming arrow, there won't be any finding those kids.' _Glenna reminded them. She sighed because she knew that Midna and Link couldn't serve as a distraction. _'Fine, fine. Go on, get under.' _

Link started to dig beneath the gate but remained under the ground as Glenna stood in front of the gate. She barked at the two archers patrolling the other side. They exchanged brief glances before looking at her. One of them notched an arrow while another began to climb over the fence. _'This is as good as it's going to get. Get going! I'll meet up with you.' _At the same time, the archer released the arrow, which Glenna narrowly avoided and the other beast jumped over the gate. Link climbed out of the hole on the other side of the gate and rushed into the village before the other Twilit Bulbin could harm him.

In the meantime, the other one brandished its silvery club at Glenna. She knocked it into the gate and bared her teeth.

_**------------------**_

Link had never been to Kakariko Village, but he could immediately tell that the atmosphere of the village was wrong. Of course, the fact that there were three Twilight Beasts patrolling around the spring also tipped Link off that the village wasn't in its normal state. Midna threw up her forcefield as Link closed in on the beasts. One of them swiped at him just before Midna released the energy that had Link bouncing from one beast to the next.

Glenna arrived inside the village just as Link began to talk to the broken spirit in the spring. "Blue-eyed beast, the insects that stole my light are spread all over the province. I will mark down the areas of them for you and your friend. Please, take the vessel of light and reclaim my tears..." As Midna had done to her before, the spirit imprinted the map of Eldin with the insect locations in her mind. He had not been lying when he said that the insects were spread around; they seemed to be absolutely everywhere.

_'Where does the scent lead?' _asked Link as if they had just been talking about the subject a minute ago.

Glenna's eyes trailed to the building nearby. _'There, but I don't know how you'll get inside.' _

Midna tapped her chin with her fingers. Her eyes darted from the tree at the side of the building to the roof. "Ah, I have a plan. I can only bring up one person at a time, Blondie, so you may as well just get started on tracking down those insects."

_'Aye aye,' _came Glenna's sarcastic response as she watched Midna assist Link in jumping into the tree than onto the roof. There was a loud crash just a minute later, leaving Glenna to assume they'd fallen through the roof.

She turned her attention back to the vast village. For a second, she closed her eyes to see the map once again. _'Alright, then. I'll head to Death Mountain.' _She darted off toward the nearby slope that led up the side of Death Mountain, home of the proud Gorons.

_**------------------**_

Inside the small house, Midna and Link were watching the spirits conversing inside. After honing his senses, the spirits revealed themselves to be Malo, Talo, Beth, Colin, a girl, and two men. One of the men was peeking outside by squinting through the boards that covered a window. "I don't see 'em anymore."

"Are they gone for good?" Talo asked the other man with long black hair. He was visibly shaking and holding onto Malo with a death-grip.

Link realized that they had to be talking about the Twilight Beasts. "Don't count on it, kid. They're probably just lookin' for a way in. That poor lady at the General Store and the majority of the town just wasn't filling enough." The redheaded man at the window growled. At this point, Beth dug her nails into Talo's arm. Although Colin looked visibly shaken, none of the three Ordon children would let him cling to them. Out of the whole group, only the man and the girl (who had to have been his daughter due to their similarities) seemed to have calm demeanors.

"Don't listen to him, children. We're safe here." The black-haired man assured them.

The redhead snorted. "Renado, they took out the whole village! Those people had torches and pitchforks! What makes you think they can't make short work of us, who are weaponless? If only I had my bombs..."

"Barnes, knock it off!" The man, Renado, snarled viciously at the redhead once the children's fear seemed to reach a new height.

Barnes slid against the wall and twiddled his thumbs. "What're we gonna do? If they get us, we're goners..."

"There is a secret cellar." Renado's daughter remarked offhandedly. "You can open it by lighting the torches."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner, Luda? This is great! We'll be able to protect ourselves from those awful beasts!" Barnes sprang to his feet and lit a fire in a nearby pot.

Luda, however, shook her head. "But I don't suggest it. There were large insects crawling around down there. They attacked me," she remarked, holding up her right arm which bore some cuts.

Barnes fell to the floor and crawled away from the fire as if it had bitten him. "Well, that's a problem."

"Don't worry, guys. Link will come and help us, I know it! He's so close... I know he is." Colin murmured, his eyes trailing down to the floor.

"I'm starting to think this Link guy you keep talking about is more fact than fiction, but whatever, kid," muttered Barnes.

In response, Link growled. Midna cackled. "C'mon, Hero. You know that they can't hear you, let alone _see _you. Spooky how that kid can tell you're so close though, hm? The insects in the cellar are probably the ones we're looking for. So let's get to opening up that cellar!"

_**------------------**_

Glenna had a rough trip up the mountain. Boulders were tumbling down the slopes like no tomorrow, and she had to bite and claw at the wired mesh to climb up certain walls. All in all, she was bleeding quite a bit before she made it to the mountain itself. Once the mountain was in view, she began to get sniped by Twilit Bulbins from all angles so she rushed to the base of Death Mountain.

Sparks were flying from the distant volcano as were bits of rock. They were just small bits of rock, so Glenna wasn't very concerned. It wasn't until she reached the middle of the base that her blood went cold. There were three Twilight Beasts there and she didn't have the same forcefield ability as Midna. However, by the time she realized this, she was fenced in by an intricate magical field.

Lucky for her, one of the beasts was off to the side in a corner. Hopefully, if she took out the other two quietly, the last one wouldn't notice. Then, she could take care of it. She unstealthily jumped on one of the beast's backs and began to bite at its throat. The other beast glided toward her with a surprisingly fast pace and knocked her off of its companion. At the same time, more rocks fell from the sky and landed around them. Glenna was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with the mountain.

She evaded another swipe from the beast and rushed forward to bite its leg. The other beast knocked her backwards and into the forcefield wall. Glenna decided to take a different approach; She quickly leapt at one of beast's throats and pulled. She didn't look at what she had pulled out with her mouth when she landed, but the beast fell to the ground. Then, she did the same thing with the other one.

When she landed back on the ground, Glenna noticed the final beast hadn't notice her presence. She navigated through the forcefield and quickly jumped it from behind. As she'd done before, she angled her jaws at their throat then smashed her teeth into its skin. The beast fell and all three of the Twilight Beasts disappeared into twilight particles to form a blue portal in the sky.

At this point, huge rocks came hurdling her way, and she took shelter under a small platform that led inside of the mountain. At the same time, she heard a strange buzzing and looked up. A whitish insect was hanging beneath the platform she was hiding under. The bug fell down on her back, and she let out an involuntary yelp.

_'Stupid bug. It just sealed its own fate,' _thought Glenna before she slammed her back into a wall. The insect was squashed, and the tear of light entered her body. Glenna closed her eyes; there were even more insects all around the area. Now she just had to find a way up.

_**------------------**_

Link wished dearly that the taste of dirt would get out of his mouth as they returned to the village. He'd had to push back numerous gravestones and desecrate them in order to get out bugs that had buried beneath the ground.

Midna cackled and patted Link's head. "Don't get too hung up, wolf-boy. We still have a lot of ground to cover. Well, alright. Just three more insects to go for us."

_'There are so many gathered at Death Mountain. I wonder why?' _Link thought before he jumped at a shadow Kargaroc that was touching ground in front of him in an attempt to attack with its claws. He bit at its throat and jumped off just as it fell to the ground.

"Maybe that's where the next Fused Shadow is," suggested Midna with a gleeful smile as she grabbed the map. "That would be lucky for us. But in the meantime, let's find the rest of those bugs. There seems to be two in the Inn down the road. The other is on one of the cliffs."

Link ran up the slope that was on level with the second story of the inn. He assumed that it would be quite a feat to get into the Inn through its doors. Luckily for him, one of the windows was busted open and hadn't been patched back up. "Run fast, wolf-boy." Midna muttered under her breath as the window came into view. He easily jumped the gap and flew in through the window.

At the same time, a startled Twilit Bulbin released a fire arrow at Midna. She raised her hand, and with it rose a black and orange shield that reflected the arrow back at the monster. The arrow struck its heart and it fell over, dead. "That's one way to do it. Now, it says here that there's an insect in the bedroom over there." Midna gestured to the only room on the level they were on. There was another floor above them. **(A/n: Different layout from TP, ftw.) **

Link entered the room, but he didn't see an insect. "Come on, Link. Knock into things, crawl under the beds, but preferably without me on you." Midna remarked as he headed for one of the beds. He pressed himself to the floor but only saw a silvery weapon. Abruptly, he was flying back into another bed. He wasn't too sure what had happen aside from the fact his head hurt a lot. "I guess this one was ready for us," murmured the imp as the Twilit Bulbin climbed out from under the bed with its club brandished.

In a fit of vengeance, he quickly ran forward and struck its throat with his claws. The monster fell to the ground and disappeared into twilight particles. "Try ramming one of the cabinets." Midna suggested as if nothing had happened.

He did as she suggested and backed off as the cabinet fell. There was a loud thud. "Eee hee hee, another Bulbin, I guess." Then, another bug revealed itself. It flew into the air, but Link was able to jump off a bed and grabbed it in his mouth. He tossed it at the wall, killing it, and took the tear of light it left behind. "One more bug. Let's climb the cliff on the other side."

_**------------------**_

It took about ten minutes, but Glenna eventually found herself with eight tears of light and back in Kakariko Village. She closed her eyes and looked for the last insect where, no doubt, Link and Midna would be. She entered a building called Barnes' Bombs via a broken window (that she assumed Midna and Link had already been through) and came to a higher point of the village. The insect appeared to be inside a lone building at the west end of the cliff.

When she reached the building, she found Midna hovering outside of it. There was a faint smell of smoke in the air. _'Midna, where's Link?' _

"Inside." The reply was easy and nonchalant.

Glenna's mouth almost dropped open. _'Wh-what? I smell smoke! You left him inside?!' _

Midna shrugged meekly. "He can get out if he tries hard," she replied, disregarding Glenna's snarl. At the same time, Link's head poked out of a small hole just outside of the building. There was a bump on his forehead, and his fur was singed in quite a few places. Other than that, he appeared fine. "We should probably move," remarked Midna as she floated away from the burning building.

She had spoken too soon. Without warning, the building exploded, hurling Link and Glenna in opposite directions. Glenna slid down the slope and landed near the roof of the bomb shop. Link disappeared from view. _'Where is he?' _

"Get the last insect before it gets away. Come on! Get up!" Midna growled when Glenna didn't move. Her body ached all over and she was concerned about Link's whereabouts, but she ran after the spark of electricity that was heading further up the cliff. She ran as fast as she could, ignoring the pain, and threw the bug against the cliff wall. When she received the last tear, her vision became white.

She appeared face down in what she guessed was the spring. As she slowly sat up, she noticed Link in the same position beside her. Glenna shook him, and he slowly sat back in the cool water. His face still managed to be a little dirty with blood and smudges. "Are you alright? You went over the side of the cliff, and..."

"I dropped onto one of the higher roofs, so I'm alright. Really," he added when her expression remained unconvinced.

The two of them failed to notice the extremely large bird hovering a couple of feet off of the ground. Its light was almost blinding, so they had to avert their eyes as they realized their company. "Young heroes, you have done well to recover my light. I thank you."

It was the first time she had been referred to as a 'hero,' so Glenna's eyes accidentally snapped to the glowing spirit. Its light was somehow easier to look at than Faron's. "I know that you search for the dark magic that has been hidden in this region although I do not approve. Nonetheless, I will still tell you its whereabouts. It is located among the proud tribe of Gorons at Death Mountain.

"As of late, there has been a change in the Gorons, so I do not suggest you take them lightly. I wish you good luck on your journey." With that, the spirit faded back inside of the spring.

Glenna and Link exchanged glances as a door to a nearby building creaked open. "Link! We just knew that you would come!" A girl shouted. As Link and Glenna stood up, Link was tackled by several small bodies and hit the water of the spring.  


* * *

**A/n: That's it for this chapter. It was a bit hard for me to write but, then again, I am a tad ADD so it's not such a surprise. I have some fairly good plans for the next chapter, and I think I'm going to introduce a nonhuman character that I've been waiting for forever to bring in. Please review, and I will see you all next chapter. **


	10. We Don't Face the Blame

CHAPTER TEN

**A/n: I know I've been updating really fast lately... I hope that's okay? That'll be over soon enough, though. But enough thinking about the future! :3 **

**Speaking of future things, though. It took me a few future chapters to finish this chapter. It's so hard to write this sometimes, but I appreciate the... eight hits I got on last chapter. xD' And, as always, I appreciate the reviews. There is no way I'd be writing this if I kept getting a review, so thank you. :)**

**By the by, this chapter is a lot longer than I expected. Over 5,000 words. Whoa. xD  
**

**Disclaimer - Don't. Own. Zelda.**

_"Now my body's on the floor and I am calling,  
__Well I'm calling out to you.  
Well, can you hear me now?  
Now my body's on the floor and I am crawling,  
I'm crawling out to you.  
Well, can you feel me now?"_

_-__**"Hear Me Now" by Framing Hanley  


* * *

**_

The shaman, Renado, was pleased to meet Link. "I wasn't sure if you were just an imaginary friend of the children," he quietly confessed to Link. "It's a relief that you were able to drive back that magic. However, I still don't understand how."

Link rubbed the back of his head. "I think it's better if I keep that secret between myself and Glenna."

To his surprise, the shaman nodded diligently. The two of them were sitting at a table inside of the Inn. "Of course. I suppose learning the secret to a magic trick ruins the surprise, doesn't it? Where are you and your companion heading next?"

"Death Mountain. There is something there that we need," replied Link as he stretched out in his chair.

Renado tilted his head to the side in a curious way as his daughter, Luda, placed two mugs on the table. "My thanks, Luda. Link, I don't know if you've heard, but the Gorons have been uncharacteristically violent as of late. I cannot help but wonder if the people of Kakariko had better relations with the Goron whether or not there would have been less casualties." The shaman lifted the mug to his cracked lips and sipped the warm herbal tea.

The truth of the matter was that he had heard such things. Glenna had told him that she heard the Gorons talking about the rift between them and the humans while she was at Death Mountain. Apparently, the regular Gorons didn't like it, but they had orders from their elders to cut ties with the humans. It was very odd indeed. However, Link didn't believe that being buddy-buddy with the Gorons would have spared those casualties.

Link sipped his tea instead of responding. He wasn't too sure where the children were at the moment but, given Talo's history, he was a little worried. But he supposed that given the scare the children had been given, they wouldn't wander off anytime soon. Aside from that, he was pretty sure Glenna was with them. Which reminded him of another female friend. "Was a girl here before? She has green eyes and short, light brown hair..."

Renado shook his head. "No, other than a few of the village girls, there isn't -- or wasn't, rather -- any other girls here aside from my Luda. Was your friend also captured by monsters?"

Slowly, Link nodded. "Yes. I'd been unarmed at the time, so I wasn't able to do anything. I should've kept my sword, but I..."

The man held up a hand. "Peace, Link. You cannot redo what has been done. All you can do is hope for the best." A small smile twitched at the corners of Link's lips.

At the same time, Glenna entered the room with the children at her heals. She placed a plate of a loaf of bread in front of them. She was covered with flour as were Beth and Talo. "I figured that we could all use something to eat." As she said this she and the other children grabbed pieces of bread.

Link grabbed a piece of bread and paused when it was at his lips. He glanced at Talo. "Have you seen your brother?"

Talo shrugged as he swallowed his food. "He's been working like crazy in that store over there." He gestured to the next building over.

Glenna flashed a grin at Link. "We should go check it out. After all, that wooden shield of yours won't hold up well in Death Mountain's heat." The two of them excused themselves and headed to the General Store which now had several signs reading, "Malo Mart." Glenna's eyebrows shot up. "What an original name."

They entered the small store and found Talo standing on a box so that his head was visible over the counter. "Yo. I figured you guys would come here sooner or later."

"You managed to do all this in that small span of time that you left Renado's house?" asked Link. At Malo's nod, Link whistled. "Malo, do you have a metal shield?"

"Sure. Do you both need one?" asked Malo, his eyes traveling over to Glenna.

She shrugged. "I've never invested in a shield before. Why start now? Link, you may want to buy some potions. I'm going outside." With a pat on Link's shoulder, Glenna headed back outside.

"So, Link. Hand over 200 Rupees." Malo held out his hands in an impatient gesture.

Link's eyebrows shot up. "200 Rupees? Are you serious?" Malo's expression could be nothing less than serious. "A wooden shield might cost you ten rupees, but those are easy to make. So? Do you've got money or what?"

Sighing, Link dug through his pocket, grabbed his wallet, and emptied the contents on the counter. Malo slid the shield across the counter. "Thanks. Now shouldn't you be doing something?"

Link was muttering under his breath as he left the store. He found Glenna laying on the ground near the spring; she appeared to be sleeping. As Link approached, Midna leapt out of Glenna's shadow. "How irresponsible! Something unfortunate could happen to you while you're laying here, Blondie."

"Midna." Link spoke roughly as he stood over Glenna. She merely grinned.

"Link. I'm glad that you made it out of that building alive."

"No thanks to you."

She cackled. "You have to build character somehow, don't you? I can't baby you all the time, otherwise you'll turn into this one." Midna gestured to Glenna who abruptly sat up and stretched, hitting Midna in the face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hit you?" asked Glenna in a sugar sweet voice. She turned to Link with a weak smile. "I take it that it's time to tango with the Gorons?" He nodded and she sighed. "Well, it was a nice twenty-second nap."

_**------------------**_

Glenna judged that it was still afternoon by where the sun was hanging in the sky as they headed up the mountain. They didn't make it very far, needless to say. When they reached the wall with wire mesh, Link stopped her. "I know that it annoys to no end that I have a, what did you call it...? Oh, right. A people-saving complex. But there's a Goron stationed up there so just let me go up by myself, okay? When the coast is clear, you can come up, too."

His blue eyes had a determined steel to them. It was that, among other things, that made Glenna give in. "Fine, fine. Go be a hero. I'll wait down here as your damsel in distress."

A small smile twitched at the edges of Link's lips. "That's all I'm asking," he replied as he began to climb up the wall. When he reached the top, the Goron stationed there pounded its hand into its palm.

"No humans are allowed on Death Mountain! Leave, human!" Instead, Link took a few steps forward. "Don't say I didn't warn you." The Goron rolled into a ball and then raced down the slope. Link tried to move out of the way, but the Goron managed to hit him anyway.

With a scream of pain, Link was knocked down to the lower level. He fell on top of Glenna, who had made a valiant attempt to catch him. The Goron pumped its fists in the air. "And do not come back!"

Link pushed himself off of Glenna, whose cheeks were burning the slightest bit rid, and held out a hand to help her up. "I don't think we're getting up there anytime soon. Let's regroup in the village." Glenna suggested although she could tell Link wanted to race back up and give that Goron a piece of his mind. "Come on," she added, tugging on Link's sleeve.

When they entered the village again, Renado was waiting for them. "I see you two didn't make it to the top of the mountain." He may have smiled had he not seen the bruises they had gained in a matter of a few minutes. "You may want to see my old friend, Bo. He is the only human I have ever met that has managed to beat a Goron in sumo wrestling. Perhaps he can tell you his secret. He is, of course, the Mayor of your village. While you're there, I'd like for you to tell the parents of these children that they're safe. I can't begin to imagine how they feel right now."

Link nodded. "That's a good idea; I'll go back to Ordon."

"But, shouldn't you bring the children back home?" asked Glenna.

Renado shook his head. "No, I think it might be too dangerous with all of the monsters out there. For now, I'd like to keep them here where I know they're safe."

Link nodded his agreement. "Glenna, are you ready?"

"Actually, I thought I might stay here. I'm not sure if the villagers will be eager to see me, and I think it might take too long if I go with you," remarked Glenna as she stretched.

Slowly, he nodded. "Alright, alright. I'll see you soon, I hope." Glenna agreed to walk with him through the village. As they almost came to the other side of the village, there was the sound of hooves beating fervently against the ground.

"What's that?" asked Glenna, shooting Link a sidelong glance. He shrugged, but the question was soon answered. A beautiful and familiar chestnut mare was race into the village. There were two Bulbins on her back. Link and Glenna jumped to opposite sides of the road as the horse tore past them. She bucked and sent the Bulbins flying to the ground.

"Epona!" Link called. He quickly got to his feet and ran after his horse without brushing the dust off of him. Glenna stayed where she was on the ground, staring after the two.

Epona stopped to rear. She looked wild, and he wondered what had happened to her. He didn't have much time. Quickly, Link jumped on her back as she took off toward the spring. He was practically hanging off Epona as she dashed. Still, he somehow managed to angle his body so that he didn't fly off as she took berserk, sharp turns.

Finally, she stopped moving, and he was able to pull on her reigns. When she was calm, Link jumped off and stroked her neck. "What happened to you, huh, girl?" He murmured soothingly as he continued to pet her.

Glenna slowly approached, sheathing the Kokiri Sword as she approached. "Is she alright now?"

He nodded slowly although he didn't look away from Epona. "At least it won't take me as long to get to and from the village now."

Colin rushed out of the hotel toward Epona. "Epona's back! Wow, Link, where'd you find her?" He asked as he began to pet the mare's side.

"She sorta just came here. I'm going back to Ordon, Colin. I'll tell your parents that you're doing fine." Link climbed back up on Epona.

"Oh, okay. 'Bye, Link!" The blond boy called after Link as he set off on Epona. Then, he turned back to Glenna. "What are you gonna do, Glenna?"

"Hm. I dunno. We could do something together, if you want." Glenna suggested, smiling.

Colin jumped up and down while nodded his head rapidly. At the same time, Renado approached them. "The two of you could help us fix up the village a little."

"Sure. Why not?" agreed Glenna as Renado led them to an area full of pieces of wood.

_**------------------**_

As soon as Link told Sera that her daughter was fine, she left the shop and spread the word around. Link was instantly bombarded by grateful parents. All except Bo, who was still inside of his house. After escaping the mob of happy villagers, Link headed for Bo's house. Bo was standing on the porch with a smile and his arms crossed.

"Link, my boy. It's been so long; I'm glad to see that you're alright." The mayor greeted him with a booming, delighted tone. He clapped Link on the back.

"Bo, it's good to see you. I need help with a problem... Can I come in?" Bo nodded and entered the house.

"I have to admit that I was starting to get concerned about you, my boy. There hasn't been a word from you." The mayor remarked as he sat at a table in the first room. "So, I heard that the children are in Kakariko with my old friend, Renado. How's my Ilia?" Link sat at a chair across from Bo and stared the floor. "Ah, I see... I just assumed... so she's still out there somewhere, eh?" Link couldn't bring himself to look up at the father of his best friend. "I-I shouldn't be so torn up. I'm relieved the other children are alright.

"Now, then. What did you need from me?" asked Bo with a smile that attempted to mislead Link into thinking he wasn't upset. He would mourn on his own time.

"I need to be able to get past the Gorons in order to reach Death Mountain. Something's going on there, it's obvious. If there wasn't something wrong, the Gorons wouldn't act so violent." Link stated. "Renado mentioned that you were able to defeat a Goron elder, so..."

"You assumed I could help you? Well, of course, my boy!" The man boomed with laughter as he rose from his seat. "Come with me to the training room. I'll show you my secret after we do a little bit of sumo."

"Sumo?" asked Link with furrowed eyebrows. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Sumo is how the Gorons determine if a person is worthy. Even if the Gorons on the mountain aren't sumoing you, I can assure you that the elders will. Now, let's get ready to sumo!"

_**------------------**_

Glenna wiped light sweat off of her forehead with the back of her arm. She had just finished patching up the final hole of the Inn. She dropped off the side of the roof and landed on all fours. Colin had just finished fixing up a hole on the lower floor. Both of them were a bit exhausted. "I think that you've done all you can do. However, Glenna, could I ask you to go pick out some more herbs for me in Hyrule Field?" Renado's abrupt appearance startled Glenna, and her hand fluttered to her chest.

"H-Hyrule Field? Of course. I'd be more than happy to go herb-picking. Just give me a bucket and I'll run out there. What kind do you need?" Glenna replied, stretching upward.

Renado surrendered a bucket that he was already carrying. "Go to the field north of here. I need some Hawthorne, Chamomile, Feverfew, and Artemisia." Glenna took the bucket and nodded.

"Happily." She headed away from the spring, toward the gate leading to Hyrule Field. When she reached the gate, Colin came up behind her. "Colin, shouldn't you be playing with the other children?"

He shook his head. "They don't like me a whole lot. Can't I come and help you?"

"Colin, it's dangerous out there; I don't know how well that I can protect you..." Glenna trailed off at the look on Colin's face. He was such a lonely little boy. What harm could there be in taking him out for a while? If anything happened, she'd just send him back to the village. Sighing, she nodded. "Alright. Just make sure that I don't regret this, okay?"

He nodded eagerly and took the bucket that she handed to him. Then, she climbed over the gate, tearing a bit of her dress on her way down. She reached across and helped Colin down on the other side.

When they came to Hyrule Field, Glenna was again momentarily struck by the beauty of the twilight. It was a thick wall across the horizon of the distant plains. Glenna unsheathed the Kokiri sword as they entered the middle of the gorge. There were more monsters than she had expected. Colin ducked as two Kargarocs flew toward them. "Don't look, Colin," murmured Glenna before cutting off one of the wings and the throat of the other bird.

_**------------------**_

Link wiped sweat off his brow again as he and Bo exited the Training Room. "You did well, Link," complimented Bo as he clapped a hand on Link's back. "With those boots, you'll be able to hold your own against them Gorons."

"Thanks, Bo, I really appreciate it. But... I really am sorry about Ilia. But I know I'll find her soon, and I'm sure she's safe."

Bo smiled weakly. "You just worry about taking care of those Gorons, alright? I'll see you later. Send me a letter when you have the chance. I wanna know everything about your sumo match."

Link nodded. "You'll be the second to know." He replied as he reached the door. "Wait, did Ilia tell you about what she was making for me before?"

The mayor merely shook his head. "I'm sorry, Link."

He shrugged. "Just more inspiration to find her. See you around, Mayor." With that, Link exited the house.

Once Link was outside, Jaggle called to him. "Uli wants to see ya, Link!"

He went over to the house and found Uli on her own. "Rusl's out gathering more wood for the village," she immediately told him as he entered the house. Then, she crossed the room and put her hands on either side of his face. "I'm glad to see you're alright. And my Colin...?"

"Just fine." Link knew this was a true statement, but he still had a sinking feeling... that he pushed to the back of his mind. "How are you doing?"

Uli smiled softly. She put her hands on her stomach. "Me and the little one are doing fine. It's you I'm worried about. It's so dangerous out there..."

"Don't worry, Uli. I have more than adamant assistance."

"Glenna. How is she?"

"She's alright. She's clumsy and sometimes arrogant, but she's not a half bad fighter when she's paying attention. But, uh, you don't care about that," he murmured, rubbing the back of his head as his cheeks burned.

Uli smiled fondly. "I'm glad that you two are doing well, and I suppose I shouldn't be keeping you occupied, so go on back to Kakariko. I just wanted to see you with my own eyes."

_**------------------**_

Once Glenna was satisfied with the amount of herbs they had gathered (and the amount of monsters she had felled), they began to head back to the village. However, they were stopped as a distant white horse galloped toward them. Like Epona, she had Bulbins terrorizing her on her back.

"Hold that thought, Colin. Stay here. Don't you move, you hear me?" When he nodded a response, Glenna set down the bucket and ran toward the horse. The horse kicked off the beasts long before she approached it. She reached up and pulled the horse's face down toward her own. "Calm down, girl. Calm down. You're alright now. No one's going to hurt you. Ssshh..." As the horse calmed, she stroked the side of her face. "Good girl."

"Gl-Glenna! Watch out!" Colin's warning came too late as a particularly large Bulbin upon an even larger Bulbo came up behind her. She turned toward the monster only to be knocked down by a club. **(A/n: I'm pretty sure King Bulbin only has a weapon in the third and fourth fights, but that's alright with me.) **

Colin gasped and started to head for the village, then stopped. If he left for the village, he might lead the monster there. He couldn't much leave Glenna, either. So, as the monster bulbin sized Glenna up, Colin bravely ran forward and struck him with his hands. It wasn't a smart move, but Colin had no choice.

King Bulbin turned to Colin with a disgruntled and, at the same time, amused expression. "So you want to play with the big dogs, little boy? Alright, then." Colin closed his eyes as King Bulbin knocked Colin upside the head with the his weapon.

_**------------------**_

When Link arrived back in Kakariko, he could tell that something wasn't quite right. Renado was standing in the middle of the road, looking toward the northern end of the village. While he was still upon Epona, Link stopped beside the shaman. "Is something wrong, Renado?"

"Ah, Link. Did you speak to the parents of the children?"

Link nodded. Realizing that Renado couldn't see him, he answered, "Yes. It was... pretty hard breaking the news to Bo that Ilia's still missing. Now... what are you looking for?"

"I sent Glenna out for herbs, and I think that Colin went with her. I sent them out a while ago, and I'm worried as to why they haven't returned," confessed the shaman.

The sinking feeling was returning to Link. He looked up and noticed that the sun was starting to become obscured by dark purple clouds. "I'll go find them. Don't worry."

He urged Epona as fast as she could go. They easily jumped the gate and entered Hyrule Field. "Come on, girl. We've gotta find them."

The truth of the matter was that they weren't too hard to find. He could pick out Glenna's form riding on a white horse. And Colin... he was tied to the flag of the all-too familiar King Bulbin. "Ya! Ya! Come on, Epona!" He urged the mare to her maximum speed and unsheathed his sword.

Glenna had cuts from arrows and clubs. Her dress was tattered and torn in places from where she'd been hit. She was utterly disgusted with herself. _'I put Colin in the path of danger. I may as well have just handed him over to these monsters. Then, I left him unprotected while I let my guard down and got knocked out.' _The anger that was bubbling inside of her was dangerous. She was hardly able to keep her body from automatically transforming her into a wolf.

Another club blow knocked her clear off of the white mare. She hit the water with a large splash; the mare stopped a foot or so in front of her. Still, she didn't realize Link was so close. At last, she gave into her anger and allowed her body to transform into a wolf. The mare was a bit startled as she tore past it, after the largest bulbin of them all.

Link fell the regular bulbins to prevent their further intervention. He watched as Glenna jumped surprisingly far and dug her fangs into King Bulbin's leg. His response was to beat her with his large club until she let go and tumbled back onto the ground.

Epona quickened her pace again at Link's urging as he dug out the Gale Boomerang. He threw it at King Bulbin and, at the same time, was struck in the shoulder by a fire arrow. He hissed in pain and closed his eyes for half a second as he tried to overcome the pain. His worry for Colin assisted him to further achieve this goal.

Several more arrow attacks later, Link caught up with King Bulbin. He struck the bulbin with his sword a few times. At that point, the bulbin retreated for the Bridge of Eldin. Link was hesitant to leave Glenna behind, but he knew that Colin was in more immediate danger than was she.

She further proved this point by catching up with him at the archway of the bridge on the white horse. "What's the game plan?" asked Glenna as they entered the bridge.

"Joust," came Link's simple reply. He could tell by King Bulbin's position at the other end of the bridge that it's what he wanted.

"So I'll just hang back here," she muttered, traces of annoyance in her voice. Knowing that she was responsible and that Link had come to the rescue, she didn't pursue the subject. It was, however, the same exact reason she wanted to take care of the bulbin. "Gee, it's times like these I wish I had a bow and arrows. Go on, take care of that oversized monster. Save Colin." Glenna added in a more agreeable way as she sucked some of the blood out of her split lip.

"You wouldn't have an easy time dueling with a short sword, Glenna." Link remarked in an attempt to console her. Then, he unsheathed his sword once more and urged Epona forward at the same time as King Bulbin moved.

Glenna sensed movement behind her and turned. There were a few archer bulbins with notched arrows pointed at Link's back. "Oh, yes. We're totally fighting fair. Well, two can play at that game..." She dismounted her horse and climbed up the archway where the bulbins were situated. She blocked one of the arrows with her sword before impaling the bulbin. Then, she took its quiver and bow and shot up its friends. "Now, let's see if all that training Zelda put me through had any effect." She narrowed her eyes somewhat as she took aim at King Bulbin.

Back down on the bridge, Link narrowly avoided the charing bulbo and slashed out at its rider as he passed. That hadn't been too long. If he knocked the bulbin off the bridge, though, what would happen to Colin?

The question received an answer as King Bulbin reached the end of the bridge Glenna was at. He barely had time to take notice that Glenna was at the top of the archway with a bow and quiver. She released an arrow at the bonds holding Colin, and he fell onto the quick-thinking white horse who then ran off of the bridge. When King Bulbin looked like he might advance, Glenna took a shot at his arm. "You just focus on the person you've already got."

The bulbin snarled and barely turned around in time to block a blow from Link's sword. He quickly rode to the other side of the bridge again, and Link turned Epona around once more. "Thanks, Glenna."

She nodded to herself. "I'll bring him back to the village. Be careful!" With that, she leapt off of the side of the archway and landed on all fours on the ground with more pain ricocheting through her body. The white horse was a ways ahead, so she whistled. Much to her surprise, the horse galloped back to her. "Thanks, girl." She mounted the white horse with Colin in front of her. "How would you like to stay with me? It would make life much easier... How about it, Avianna?"

Back on the bridge, Link cleared past Lord Bulbo once more and used enough force to knock King Bulbin and his loyal stead clear off of the bridge. "Alright, girl. Let's get back to the village... I think we could both use a good rest." He mumbled as he patted the mare's neck with one hand and wiped some dried blood off of his face with the other.

_**------------------**_

When Link rode into town, he was greeted by the children immediately. "Link! Link! We heard that you fought a great big monster to save Colin! Gee, Link, you're so cool!" Talo, who was practically bouncing off the walls, shouted.

Glenna appeared behind them with a wet rag in her hands. "Yes, but did you guys know that Colin's a hero, too? He tried to save _me_."

"Really?!" The children asked in unison as they whirled on the blonde.

She laughed and nodded. "When he wakes up, you can ask him all about it. Give him a few years, and he'll be just like Link here." Glenna pushed past the children and handed Link the rag. "It was soaked in the spring water, so it can heal your cuts pretty well."

He nodded his thanks and took the rag. "He's still unconscious?"

Glenna nodded and shooed the children. She walked beside Link as he walked Epona to the spring. "Yeah. I think it was better that he fell on Avianna than the cold hard ground, though. Even if I made one good choice, this is my fault."

Link dismounted Epona beside the spring, near Avianna. "You're keeping the horse?" At her nod, he continued, "I won't lie, Glenna. You made a bad choice. But you can't blame yourself for Colin being captured. How were you supposed to know that bulbin was going to be out there?"

Glenna settled down in the spring water. For a minute, she stared at her own reflection and the reflection of Link scrubbing the cuts on his visible skin. "I'm a tracker for Zelda, remember? I know all about King Bulbin and where he travels. Usually he's in the Eldin province, but I guess I expected him to crawl under a rock during this twilight invasion. His boldness tells me that he's probably one of Zant's lackeys. I made a big mistake and it could've costed a life. I owe Uli already, so if anything had happened to Colin..."

"Stop, Glenna. The moment's passed, and nothing too terrible happened. Now, I think we should have Renado bandage us up."

She looked up at him with a curious expression but agreed. "Alright. He sent Barnes to retrieve the bucket of herbs I left behind, anyway."

_**------------------**_

By the time Renado was through bandaging them up, it was dark outside and exhaustion had hit the two hylians like a ton of bricks. Renado wouldn't hear of them going to Death Mountain in the states they were in. "I know I have no right to do so, but I forbid you two from going to see the Gorons. Your bodies have taken enough abuse for one day. At least give your wounds a few hours to heal."

"Where are we going to stay?" asked Glenna although it was a bit of a silly question; there was a number of vacant buildings up and down the village.

"The Inn. There are certainly enough rooms for you and the children to stay there." Renado replied. "Now go ahead and head over to the Inn. In the morning, I hope to have enough food to feed you two breakfast."

They argued the subject no longer as they left the Sanctuary and were greeted by breaths of cold, fresh air. Avianna and Epona were no longer in the spring.

Before they had time to get nervous, they noticed the two mares side by side in a small fenced area next to Malo's store. When they entered the Inn, Luda greeted them almost immediately. "I hope you don't mind, but I washed and fed your horses. Then I put them in the area besides Malo Mart."

Link smiled and patted Luda on the head. "Thank you very much. So... where are we staying?"

She pointed all the way up to the third floor. "I hope you do not mind?"

"No. Thanks, Luda." With that, Glenna and Link made the long trudge up flights of stairs until they passed the first room. "I'll take this room. Goodnight, Link," yawned Glenna, leaving Link no room to argue as she entered the room.

He took the few steps to the next room and collapsed on the bed inside. Obviously, the rooms had been spruced up during the day. The bed was surprisingly comfortable. Link kicked off his boots and curled under the sheets. It felt like forever since the last time he'd actually gone to sleep at night.

The day had been so stressful. Ilia's whereabouts were unknown, and Colin had been captured. Still, it was fortunate that all but Ilia were in the village and that Colin had been saved. Ilia was probably safe in another village. These thoughts alone were the only ones that helped him fall asleep.

_'Simple boy.' Link was standing in the dark, looking everywhere for the source of the deep voice. 'You think that these things are so simple; you think that you understand the situation. Boy, you know _nothing_.' _

_'Who's there?' Link demanded as he unsheathed his sword; the sword wasn't his. The hilt was purple and the Triforce symbol was engraved into the blade. It gave off a light that illuminated the area._

_As far as he could tell, he was standing in an area that was only made up of darkness. 'I must be dreaming.' _

_'Yes, you keep telling yourself that. You and your friends will soon see what true evil is...'_

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**A/n: End of. I like putting the dream sequences in the chapters. They... amuse me. Alright, so this chapter was... alright. Like I mentioned in the last chapter, I was dying to incorporate Avianna, as she was the second character I developed for the story. Ha. Anyway, please review? Please? See you all next chapter. (I like anonymous reviews too, ftw. Alright... I'm going to stop badgering you.) Next chapter is the fire temple!**


	11. Backstories

Chapter Eleven

**A/n: Happy holidays, everyone! My computer had to be restored [again] so I lost this chapter and everything else I worked really hard on. Annoying? I think so. So my heart hasn't been in this so much. But I've been thinking about it since my last update and have been slowly but surely working on it. If I get at least two reviews for this chapter, I will update regularly. Promise! **

**Disclaimer - Nope, don't own Zelda. Just Glenna. Kthx.**

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Sleep did not come easy to Glenna. She tossed and turned all night and awoke as the sun rose. They could have probably gone to Death Mountain the previous day, after all. She got up when the sun rose and, as soon as she stepped outside of her room, the sweet smell of food reached her nose. Smiling, Glenna descended the stairs, a bit drunkingly from her tiredness, and found Renado cooking. "Ah, Glenna, you are awake early," observed the shaman without looking at her.

She blinked, not quite sure how he had been aware of her presence, but answered, "I wasn't very tired." Her tone was challenging, challenging his authority, which had kept her and Link from going to Death Mountain. However, his lack of a response alerted her to the fact that he did not believe her response and would also not be intimidated by a teenager. A seventeen-year-old, but a teenager nonetheless. "I think I'm going for an early ride."

"Make sure you have your weapon. The monsters are normally the most terrible from dusk to dawn," remarked Renado as he cracked an egg although he knew he didn't have to tell her. Glenna needed not to be reminded of the dangers of taking a walk in Hyrule field in the early morning. "Ah, and I think I'll have a gift for you when you get back." As she exited the Inn, she was immediately assaulted by a few small Kargarocs, but she ignored them as she had left the Kokiri sword and bow and arrows upstairs. Glenna gazed at the make-shift stable Luda had set up for Avianna and Epona and found that both mares were sleeping.

Glenna nodded to herself, pleased. She hadn't been planning on taking Avianna out (not without a weapon) but now she wouldn't have to feel guilty, either. It was too early to worry about anyone seeing her so, with little to no discretion, Glenna willed her body to change and it did so. Her spine shifted so that her height was cut greatly and white fur appeared on her body. Some of her wounds ached as she changed, but she didn't much care. Running around as a wolf always made her feel better. It was the best medicine that anyone could give her.

**XxxxxX**

When Link came downstairs an hour later, Luda was already up and helping her father prepare breakfast. Grits, he realized with a grin. Definitely better than nothing. He'd noticed Glenna's absence as he passed her room, but now that he knew she wasn't in the kitchen, he was a little worried. "Good morning," he greeted them as he entered the room.

Luda looked towards him with a grin. "Mr. Link, did you have a nice sleep?"

He nodded. "Yes, thank you, Luda. Have either of you seen Glenna?" Luda hid a laugh behind her hand as she turned back towards the bowl that she was supposed to be stirring. He didn't bother asking what it was that she found funny.

"She left about an hour ago to go for a ride," replied Renado almost hesitantly as he turned towards Link. "But she never took a weapon, nor did she take Avianna."

Link shook his head and inhaled deeply. The first thing he'd grabbed was his sword and shield after awaking. "Really? Huh. Well, I guess I'd better go check that out. How one can ride without a horse beats the hell out of--" As he turned around, he found himself face to face with Glenna. Or, at the very least, he bumped into her; she was quite a bit shorter than he.

"No need, Hero," replied Glenna as she placed her hands on her hips. "Here I am. What's wrong, expect that you have to save me again?"

"You went for a ride without your horse or sword. I was a little worried about your sanity, Glenna," stated Link although he was grinning.

She lightly pushed him. "There are other ways to get around, you know." Glenna howled lightly under her breath. Midna's disembodied chuckle startled everyone in the room but Glenna. "Sorry, that was me trying out a new laugh. Anyway, didn't you say that you had a surprise for me, Renado?"

"I have a couple for the two of you," remarked Renado as he turned towards them. "Come with me, won't you? Luda, please set some places for Link, Glenna, and the other children in the main room." She nodded as her father ushered the two teenagers out of the room and Inn. They entered the Sanctuary, where Renado picked up two metal shields. He handed them to Glenna and Link.

Link blinked. "A shield? A _metal _shield? After Malo already robbed me blind? Go figure."

Glenna laughed quietly. "I said I never used a shield before, but I guess it's worth taking if it's free. Since these are metal, they should be good against any fire Keese and," she brought her eyes up to Renado's, "they're also very old. Where did you find this?"

"Luda found it beneath a grave in the graveyard. How do you know that they are from older times?" asked Renado evenly.

Glenna smiled. "Assistant to the Princess. I like to read in her library when she's not sending me on some sort of mission. Anyway, there's another triangle beneath the royal symbol," she answered, gesturing to the golden piece beneath the feet of the bird. "It was once said to be a picture of the other piece of the Triforce, the one that was supposed to fit in the center. You know the one," her voice dropped to a whisper. "The one that was supposed to carry an evil, ultimate power."

Renado inclined his head. "Indeed I have heard the legends, however... I do not think I believe them. Do you?" he asked, eyeing her with something of scrutiny. Glenna wondered why it seemed that Renado did not like her. Could it have been because she led Colin in the path of danger the previous day? Or, maybe, he could sense the wolf within her.

"I believe in many legends," was Glenna's only reply.

"What was the other thing you wanted to give us?" Link only asked in order to lighten the tension that was quickly filling the room.

Renado nodded, averted his eyes from Glenna's, and turned again. This time, he picked up two large red tunics. "The mines are extremely hot. If you go there in the clothes that you're currently wearing, then you will surely be unable to deal with the heat."

"Thank you, Renado. I'll go down and change, then," said Glenna as Renado handed her one of the old Goron tunics. She descended the ladder into the cellar. Renado did not notice part of Link's shadow break off to follow Glenna.

Link unbuckled the belt around his waist and slowly peeled off the green tunic so as not to reopen his wounds with the slight movement. He pulled the red tunic over his head and shoved the green one into his pack. "If I don't drop from heat exhaustion first, then I will be relieved," he remarked, referring to the long white undershirt that he was still wearing.

Renado's lips twitched at the humor, but nothing more. "Link, going to Death Mountain is going to be dangerous--"

"--And everything I've already done has been a piece of pumpkin pie," he mumbled.

"My point is that while I am appreciative that you want to help this village, it is not necessary."

Link's eyes bore into Renado's with an intense stare. "I'm not just doing it for you; I'm also doing it for my friends who are here. I do not want to leave them to danger again. Besides, I have other business to take care of in the Goron Mines."

Renado raised his eyebrows as he set his lips in a frown. "Would you care to share with me what 'business' this is?"

Link simply shook his head. "Nope," he replied easily as Glenna resurfaced with the Goron tunic donned. She had her own leather belt tied around her waist and she appeared the simplest that Link had ever seen her. Her dress was rolled up in a ball, and, aside from the tunic, all that she was wearing were white tights and her boots.

"I think I'll actually be able to move easily from here on out; I should've tried this sooner," she stated with a small smile before stuffing her dress into her pack. "At any rate, the Gorons might be a bit kinder to us now. When these tunics used to be sold, they were only sold in the Death Mountain region, so if we're wearing them, they should have the idea that we come in peace."

"Or all they will see is red," offered Renado.

Glenna shook her head lightly. "I'm choosing, from this point on, to be much more optimistic." She turned toward Link. "Now, then. Are we ready?"

**XxxxxX**

Neither of the swordsmen saw a point in bringing with them their horses as there were, Renado had said, no longer any slopes up the mountain. Meaning that it would be much easier to go down the mountain than climb up it. But neither Link or Glenna complained. "So, Link," began Glenna. "This is going to be a long trek. Why don't you tell me about your childhood?"

Link stared at her as they climbed up the netting of the cliff that they were currently climbing. "Are you serious?" he asked.

She thought about it for a moment, pursing her lips seriously. Then, she nodded. "Quite. So, story time. Come on!"

Link groaned. "I feel like I've told you this before."

"Who cares? Tell me again."

He shrugged and sighed. "Well, what's to know? My parents abandoned me -- or something -- when I was a baby. Rusl and Uli took me in and raised me as their own. By the time Colin was born, I had long moved out. Rusl and I worked on making that treehouse of mine into an actual house for years, so I moved in there a bit before Colin was born. I worked as a ranch hand on the ranch for most of my life, although, at first, I did the easier stuff... like grooming the goats. But that was too boring, anyway. And, all along, Ilia was my best friend. For my whole life."

Glenna bit her lip. "You really miss her, huh?"

"Of course," answered Link. "Haven't you ever had a best friend?"

Taking a break from climbing in order to wipe the sweat from her forehead, Glenna nodded. "Yeah. Not before I moved to the castle, though. Zelda. I consider her my best friend." She scrunched up her nose. "But I highly doubt she feels the same. I'm always such a bitch to her. And I wasn't even around when she needed me the most. I'm a terrible friend and, even worst, a terrible advisor."

Link shook his head as he continued to climb. "If you want to be successful on this journey, Glenna, you can't keep blaming yourself. Especially for things that aren't your fault."

"It gets a little annoying," cackled Midna from Glenna's shadow.

Glenna nodded. "Alright..." She continued to climb.

"What about you? You've always been pretty vague about what happened to you."

"My father gambled all of our money away one night, but continued to gamble anyway. Then, he didn't pay this woman what he owed her and took off. So, in order to get revenge, she wanted to take away something of his. She turned me into a wolf, not knowing that, for my father, losing one kid didn't mean much. My parents shooed me out of the house, I crawled up in a cave somewhere. The witch was sorry -- mostly because it only effected me and not my father -- and fixed me back into a human.

"But she warned me that my wolf form would come back, even if I tried to live as a normal human. The first days were the worst, let me tell you. And, if I ever get too exhausted as a human, I turn back into a wolf. It's hard for me, because I know that I can never live a normal life. I'll never be able to be a loving wife and mother. So, knowing this at the ripe age of six, I wandered until I made it to Castle Town. Telma took me in, Zelda gave me a very well-paying job. The funny thing is that I don't deserve any of it," sighed Glenna as she finally made it to the top of the wire, beside Link. "It sucks."

Link pursed his lips as he thought for a moment. "Well, if it means anything, I think that marrying a shape-shifter would be cool. Especially a wolf shape-shifter."

Glenna laughed. "That's because you're also a wolf shape-shifter."

Before either of them could touch further upon where the conversation was heading, Link asked, "Hey, wasn't there a Goron up here before?" They pulled themselves onto the mountain path.

"Yeah... But now he-- Hey, look out!" cried Glenna as a Goron abruptly came rolling down the mountain.

"Don't worry," replied Link and, in a blink of an eye, changed into a pair of metal boots. He held out his arms as if he were about to stop a raging goat and caught the rolling Goron. Glenna stared at Link with her mouth hanging open and eyes wide as he easily chucked the Goron over his shoulder. "Let's hurry before it climbs back up."

Glenna nodded and the two of them sped up the mountain path. However, after a minute or so, she slid to a stop. "Hold on. When I came up here before -- during the twilight -- there was a bunch of shit here. It was messy and dangerous. Let me scout on ahead and make sure there aren't any surprises. I'll come back with a status report."

Link frowned. "Why do I get left behind?"

Instead of answering, Glenna allowed her body to shift into her wolf form. Midna instantly dove onto her back. "Why do you think, dog boy?" asked Midna with a grin before kicking Glenna's sides. "So, Blondie," began Midna when they were farther away from Link. "Do you think you'll have to worry about the stuff from before?"

_"Probably not. The Gorons are too proud to have anyone in their territory, any monsters, I mean. But Renado did mention they are acting hostile toward humans. No one but Gorons can get in here. Something's up... Something Zant-related, I'm sure?" _Midna nodded. _"Speaking of him, that Zant. You don't know him in any way other than the fact that he comes from the Twilight Realm?" _

"Nope. He's just some crazed, power-hungry weirdo," replied Midna easily. "But the fact that he's still after you, Blondie, concerns me. I already have the wolf that my people spoke of -- the one that would save our home. So, in theory, he should realize that you're not the one and try to kill Link. But, instead, he still wants you by his side. And..."

_"He's not trying to kill us personally. He knows what we're up to and he's not trying to stop us. In fact, it seems like he's always playing with us when we see him. Even when he wanted -- for a manic second -- to kill me. He insisted on toying with me first."_

Midna pursed her lips. "Zant's not totally sane, if you ask me. But I guess we should be happy that he hasn't bothered us personally. At this point, none of us are ready for him. And don't insist that you can take him by yourself, Blondie. You can't."

_"You know me so well," _replied Glenna simply as she turned her head to glance at their surroundings. Many Gorons were stationed at corners, near cliff walls, on the top of the cliffs overlooking the path... but none of them bothered with Glenna and Midna. _"Well, isn't that something."_

_ "They think we're both animals. But if I open my mouth, they might wise up," _stated Midna telepathically. _"Now I wonder how you're planning to get the Hero up here without the Gorons bothering him?" _

_ "Maybe we can just tell them that we come in peace?" suggested Glenna._

_ "Or knock them out and stuff them in some clos-- _Watch it!" shouted Midna, aloud, abruptly. Several of the Gorons atop the cliffs had picked up large boulders.

"Not welcome! Leave or we crush you!" shouted one of the Gorons. In unison, the creatures hurled the boulders over their heads. Glenna had never blown her cover before but, out of fear and misjudgment, she reverted to her human form. "HUMAN!" roared the Gorons. At that moment, Midna and Glenna heard the scrambling of feet behind them and turned to see Link joining them.

They stared at him for only a moment. "Did you really think you could leave me behind?" asked Link with a grin which quickly disappeared as he looked from Glenna to the Gorons. "You didn't really...? Shit, Glenna." Link unsheathed his sword and raised it. "I think we'd ought to be ready for a fight." The boulders were just seconds from running them over. Link grabbed Glenna's wrist and the two of them ran down the path and jumped off the edge. Pressing themselves against the cliff wall, Link shielded their bodies as the boulders leapt off the edge and continued to roll down the trail without harming either of them.

Glenna and Link rejoined Midna where all of the Gorons were still gathered, just a few feet from the mountain itself. Glenna took a few steps forward. "Shape-shifter, you and friends not welcome!" roared one of the Gorons.

She nodded and held up her hands. "I know... I... know. But, you have to believe me when I say that we're only here to help. We are. Look," she snatched Link's left hand and showed it to the group. "Look, he's been marked by the goddess Farore with the Triforce of Courage! He can, because of Farore's blessing, transform into a sacred beast! We're trying to help the people of Hyrule, Gorons, and you're part of that population. So, whatever's wrong with you guys, let us help. Please."

The Gorons simply stared at them for a moment. And, in that moment, Midna ordered, "Charge!" Link and Glenna quickly ran forward with Midna floating after them. "No let those humans up to Elders!" roared the Gorons as Midna, Link, and Glenna rushed into the opened area at the foot of what appeared to be the home of the Gorons.

"That was pretty simple," noted Glenna as the ground began to shake. Midna, however, pointed upwards and clicked her tongue. A gigantic and dangerously sharp volcanic rock was hurling towards the ground and about to make a home through the three of them. Midna quickly jumped into Link's shadow as he and Glenna ran back up the crystal steps, away from the rock and the Goron home. The rock settled into the middle of the area, spraying their skin with bits of sharp rock that broke off. "That was a nice welcome. Now I know why Zelda never sends me here."

"Eldin said the Fused Shadow is in the Goron mines," recalled Link. "So I'm guessing we have to get up there." He gestured to the large building ahead of them. Glenna nodded and started back down the steps. "Hey! Where are you going?"

Glenna stopped at the bottom of the 'staircase' and glanced back at Link with a smile. "Gorons can lift extremely heavy objects. If we can tire them out, then they'll curl into a ball, and we can stand on their backs. Then, they'll throw us into the air. Slowly but surely, we can make our way to the entrance."

Link followed after her. "Do you know how to do anything without fighting -- whether it's physical or verbal?"

"No," answered Glenna with a small smile.

**XxxxxX**

Zelda had seated herself, cross-legged, on the cold stone floor of her own personal hell. Her hands lay on her legs with the palms facing upwards and she was trying to steady her breathing. The brown hood of her mourning cloak was drawn upward, submerging her facial features into darkness as she attempted to hammer out a plan. She had not exactly been content with sitting back and allowing Zant to continue to torture her people, but she was growing with more discontent by the day. The last time she had attempted to look out the only window of the room, through the twilight spell cast on Lanayru, she could see clear skies in the distance. That meant Midna, Link, and Glenna were doing what she had asked them to do and, in Midna's case, what they wanted to do.

And she didn't want to leave it all on their shoulders anymore. The room was stuffy and the guards, when they spoke to one another, spoke in a tongue that Zelda couldn't understand. The only time she got any news whatsoever was when Zant strutted into the room to deliver some sort of bad news. Any kind, really. The trueness of the news, Zelda did not know. She knew that she would know the true progress of restoring Hyrule if it was possible for her to still communicate with Glenna. But the spell stifled her telepathy and limited it to Castle Town, or, possibly, Lanayru province as a whole.

Therefore, the princess had been meditating in hopes of strengthening her power and reaching past the stifling spell. She had been praying to the goddesses constantly for deliverance, but she knew that they could do no more than they already had by sending Link and Midna to her. Sometimes, when she snuck down the stairs to listen at the door, she could hear certain guards -- those that spoke hylian -- and Zant talk of Glenna. How they would "get that damned wolf." But she had no idea of why, how, or when.

All Zelda knew was that she needed to devise a plan to free herself. And that was why she attempted to sacrifice her own hunger needs for that of one guard in particular in order to get an important book.

**XxxxxX**

Glenna grunted as a rock hard fist delivered a punch to her abdomen, successfully cracking what she assumed to be a rib. "I've got plenty more ribs where that came from, bud. You're gonna have to try harder than that."

"Glenna, come on! You're really lagging," called Link from just about the top of the building. He ducked and kicked the Goron behind him with his iron boots. The Goron fell to the ground and curled into a ball, at which point Link climbed onto its back and was propelled into the air. He stood in front of the entrance and waited for Glenna, who quickly hit her Goron with the hilt of the Kokiri sword.

Midna floated out of Link's shadow and down toward Glenna. The fiery hair on her head transformed into a large hand, which plucked Glenna out of midair and hurled her up to join Link. "That's a timesaver," remarked Midna as she and Glenna joined Link. "Don't bother thanking me! Eee hee hee!" Then, the imp disappeared in Link's shadow once more.

"Ready?" asked Link.

"To meet a group of angry creatures that are more than ten times stronger than us? Of course," answered Glenna as she and Link entered with their weapons drawn. As soon as they stepped into the dimly lit room, about eight or so Gorons rolled into balls and prepared to knock into Glenna and Link with a painfully large force.

"Stop now! That's an order!" shouted a Goron from the center of the room. This Goron was significantly shorter than the other Gorons, but still taller than Glenna. This Goron was, however, much more distinguished as he was wearing a cloth below his stomach, he bore a large pink marking on his stomach and the Goron symbol in the same ink color on his right arm. "My, my, what do we have here? Two rather young hylians, it seems. Brave, too, if you two managed to climb all the way up here and get past my stationed guards..."

Glenna took a few steps forward, causing the other Gorons to become guarded once more. "We're here to figure out what exactly is going on here, Gor Coron. The Gorons are a proud people, yes, but they are never violent and would, certainly, not attack humans for treading on their land -- especially humans in need." Her sapphire eyes narrowed dangerously. "Those Kakariko villagers that attempted to get your help, the ones you chased away when you threatened to beat them up? Yeah, they died. Or, rather, were killed. Kakariko is a fairly large village and, now, there are only three of the original villagers remaining. Three twilight beasts murdered the rest."

Gor Coron lowered his violet eyes and became visibly abashed. "W-well, you... you see, child... U-us Gorons are having our o-own problems, y-you s-s-see..."

Glenna nodded. "Obviously if you're resorting to violence toward every one who steps foot on your land -- even a white wolf and imp. So, please, explain what was so important that you felt the need to let innocents die?"

"I do not answer to you, missy! I answer to my patriarch who, at the moment, is a tid bit preoccupied! Just who are you to order me around and make me feel bad for events that are not exactly my doing?!" demanded the Goron elder.

Glenna all but ripped up the right sleeve of her tunic to reveal what looked like a scar in the shape of the Triforce. "Do you recognize this symbol?"

"The Triforce, but also the... symbol of the Royal Family," muttered Gor Coron. "Are you... part of the family?"

"No," replied Glenna, almost snarling the reply. "But I am a close friend and attendant to Princess Zelda, who is also a 'tid bit preoccupied.' So. Instead of dancing around the subject, why don't you tell me what's going on here before I report your insubordinance to the Princess?" Link attempted to give away nothing with his face but wondered if the Gorons were really so cut-off now that they did not know of the rest of Hyrule -- and Zelda's -- fate.

Gor Coron's lip rolled back unpleasantly. "Fine, I will tell you. But only if you can beat me in a sumo match."

"A... a sumo match?" repeated Glenna with disbelief. "Are you kidding me? I would be at a severe disadvantage, even against a short Goron like yourself."

Although the elder much looked like he wanted to reply to the insult, Gor Coron said, "Not you. Your companion, who so greatly resembles the..."

"Hero of Time. Yes, yes, we've heard it before," murmured Glenna before turning around and joining Link. "Do you really think you can handle him?" she added in a whisper.

Link nodded. "No problem. With the boots the Mayor gave me, it's an even match. And I have enough practice, so I should be fine." At this, Link raised his voice, "Alright, let's do it."

"Good, good. Step into the ring." The elder was already standing in the center of the ring, which looked warn.

Glenna relocated herself to the back of the room, in the shadows. Part of Link's shadow broke off in order to join her. Midna hid herself in the shadows as she floated beside Glenna. "Sumo wrestling. Who would have thought?" remarked Midna with a wide grin.

"I guess it makes sense. I've heard that men have used sports as a mean of respect and pride since the beginning of the time and, given their sizes, the Gorons would enjoy sumo," said Glenna with her arms folded.

Midna glanced at the girl's shoulder. "Hmm. How about that nice little mark you have on your other bicep, Blondie?"

"Letters with the seal work fine, but sometimes people need a bit more proof. And in order to be official, I needed the mark," answered Glenna simply. "I don't mind. I've gotten worst marks from my father after a long night of drinking and my siblings after a long night of being annoying."

The twili shook her head as Link began to push Gor Coron out of the ring. "You are something else."

"It's all a matter of a person's situation," replied Glenna easily. "What about you? I still don't know a thing about you other than what we talked about earlier."

Midna grinned. "There's nothing you need to know about me, Blondie, but a lot I need to know about you if we're going to travel together. Because if you have any skeletons in your closet, I don't want them preventing me from doing what I need to do." Glenna noted, with some surprise, that Midna's tone was relatively serious.

With pursed lips, Glenna said, "And same goes for me. I don't want any fatal attraction you may have for Zant to stop me from saving Zelda, this kingdom, and keeping Link safe."

Midna's face contorted into that of pure anger, a truly frightening expression complete with her teeth bared. Calm quickly cooled her and reverted her expression to its usual smugness before Glenna could not notice. Gor Coron, however, did catch the face and the amber eyes out of the corner of his eye. Because of that, he was easily shoved out of the ring.

"Well, I suppose that since you've bested me, I should come clean," remarked Gor Coron as Link helped him to his feet. He was quick to take his eyes away from the corner where he had seen Midna, waving her off as part of his imagination.

Midna settled for disappearing back into her temporary sanctuary of shadows. Before she dove into Glenna's, she said, "Before you ever think of insinuating things that you have no clue about, I suggest you dwell on it for a moment or two. Otherwise, you may find yourself in trouble, Glenna," warned the twili.

"Right back at you, Midna," shot back Glenna without taking her eyes off of the Goron elder.

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**A/n: I actually was quite satisfied with the chapter's contents and length, given the fact that I injured my wrist and it killed me to type so much. xD' So, for that, maybe I've earned myself a couple reviews? Come on, if you want me to finish the story and do the sequel, you'll reviewww. I'll try to update soon.**


	12. Lava and Gorons and Mines! Oh My!

**Chapter Twelve**

**A/n: I've been thinking up ideas for the story all day as I've been... bedridden. xD' You guys probably think I'm some girl that needs to live in a bubble... and I wouldn't disagree. At any rate, cwizumi is the bomb for her review and is the reason for my fast update. Updates may slow down for the next few days because I have to work, buuut it's my new year's resolution to finish this story!**

**Disclaimer - After about fifteen fanfictions and a million disclaimers, I'm running out of clever ways to say I don't own [insert copyrighted subject here].**

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Gor Coron folded his arms across his rocky chest as he stood before the stands where Link and Glenna had seated themselves. "Myself and the other elders have ordered a halt to allowing humans into our territory because a terrible fate has befallen us. Although it is mostly for our own benefit to disallow anyone from knowing our problem, we have also not wanted any humans to be harmed by coming here. I expect that you know of Death Mountain's constant explosions?"

"Well, seeing as a huge volcanic rock nearly shish-kabobed us, I'm not sure how we could miss it," murmured Glenna.

The elder went on as if he hadn't heard her. "This started around the time that strange twilight befell us. All four of us elders traveled with our patriarch, Darbus, to find the source of the problem. We have been entrusted with a most sacred treasure that we have hidden away in a very safe place in the mines, so we travelled there to make sure it had not been broken.

"In order to make sure it was in fine condition, Darbus touched the treasure and visibly changed before us all. He... he became different. He was full of fury and rage and may have killed us had we not sealed him in the room. From there, we broke apart the key to the room and gave it to each elder to hold onto. Now, four elders await in their chambers throughout the mines with separate shards. I would have joined them if I could, but I am much too old. In my youth, I was a great patriarch, a truly good warrior. But now my body is breaking down on me, so I stand guard at the mine's entrance to hinder anyone from going inside. This means anyone other than an elder -- not even the rest of my people are allowed in."

Gor Coron heaved a heavy sigh. "The mine is a very dangerous place, full of traps to prevent intruders from reaching either of our treasures. However, I know that I cannot keep Darbus locked up forever -- with his alien strength, he will escape eventually, then my people will be in even more danger. And the longer we cannot enter our mine, the more our trade will suffer. We cannot live like this forever. For that reason, I will permit entrance to you, as you have proved your worth and obvious willingness to help. I would just request that you be as careful as possible. I will send word to the elders that you are here to help, but they may still act as if you were intruders, disregarding their temporary patriarch's orders."

"Is that all?" asked Link politely and patiently although Glenna could tell he was both itching and dreading the trip into the mine.

The temporary patriarch nodded. "Yes." He turned and began to walk away, but stopped and glanced back abruptly. "Those shiny boots of yours should prove useful, I believe," he remarked with a secretive smile, leaving behind a very puzzled pair. "And the Goron tunics you are wearing should protect you from the extreme heat. Good luck."

Link leapt off the bleachers and signaled for Glenna to follow him as he started for the mine's entrance. They walked side by side, in silence, until they travelled all the way through the small, dark tunnel and saw the light of the mine they were about to step into. "It's hot," remarked Glenna without need as the tunnel ended and they stepped onto the crusty dirt ground of the mine. "And, whoa, look at all that lava! Goddesses..."

"You know what that means, don't you? One wrong move and you'll become a part of the mine," cackled Midna from Glenna's shadow. "I'd be careful if I were you two."

"Yeah, thanks," replied Glenna through pursed lips in a clipped tone.

Link narrowed his crystalline eyes and stared at the bubbling amber color along with the slim brown pillars that lined the area. "They sure don't make it easy to stay alive in this place," he mumbled as he pulled on the collar of his shirt.

"What do you expect? A Goron can dive into that lava and emerge totally unaffected. It would be just like a really hot bath for them," sighed Glenna as she stepped near the edge of the ground. She lifted her leg to step onto the pillar, but a bubbling noise stopped her. "What's that?" And, without another warning, a pillar of lava erupted from the lava below. "What. That could have been my leg." She quickly turned and found Link standing just behind her. "I've decided that I don't like this place."

"Oh?" said Link in reply.

"Oh," agreed Glenna as they watched the lava dissipate back into the pool below. "I'm not really a fire girl."

Link hooked his arm with hers. "We're going to jump. Ready, set... go!" They jumped onto the first pillar of many. "Then, what are you, Glenna?" he asked as he studied the lava below for their next path.

"A water girl," she confessed. "Let's go to that one."

"That'll never work," he argued.

"Then, we'll take separate routes," decided Glenna as she jumped onto a pillar in front of them while he took the one to his left. "And I think I know what you are."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Your fun-ruiner?"

Glenna nodded as she hopped to another pillar. "That," she agreed, "and a nature boy. That would be your element -- earth."

"Clever of you, me living in the woods and all," he replied with a hint of a smile.

Glenna managed a small laugh as she pushed back some of her hair. "It's so hot in here that my hair's becoming stick straight... I wonder if there are any cool rooms here?" she added while wiping some sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

"What? Not used to a hard day's work?" asked Link. "Because you're pretty hopeless when it comes to herding goats."

"Hey, my job requires me to run and attack, not herd."

"What's that job exactly again?" asked Link as he jumped to yet another pillar.

Glenna pushed her hair out of her face once again. The next piece of land was almost in her reach. "I travel to different provinces -- as a wolf -- to check on the amount of monsters. They were getting really high just before Zelda surrendered to Zant. We couldn't figure out why, but now I guess we have our answer... sort of. I've been doing it since I was six. At first, I just stayed in Lanayru province and, really, there was nothing wrong back in those days. Now... forget it. Ugh. Hence why I was sent to Ordona. Zelda was worried that Rusl was having trouble getting to the castle because of all the monsters."

"How did she know that Rusl was the trader from Ordona?" wondered Link.

At this point, a slight blush appeared on Glenna's cheeks. "Even when I'm not working, I prefer my wolf form, so I sometimes hide myself in the tall grass and watch outside of Castle Town. I've seen Rusl a few hundred times traveling with a cart full of goat-related products and wood, so I put two and two together. 'specially when I saw you with him and you two addressed each other by name."

"You're sort of my stalker, I think, Glenna," remarked Link with a grin.

"I guess you're sorta right," she agreed as she finally made a jump to land -- and just about missed. "Oof!" Her fingers grasped onto the edge of the land, causing her to hit the wall of it hard.

Link frowned as he landed smoothly on the land. "Also a little accident-prone." He reached out and pulled her up. She muttered a thanks as Link identified their next challenge. "There's... no way to get across that pool of lava." Glenna, surprised, dusted herself off and looked at the long stretch of bubbling, lethal molten lava. "Now what?"

"Now you get on your knees and ask, 'Pretty please, Midna, could you help us get across the mean pool of liquid fire?'" cackled Midna as she resurfaced from Glenna's shadow.

Frowning, Glenna suggested, "How about, instead, I promise not to punt you into the lava."

"I'm a shadow person, so I'd like to see you try, Blondie," replied Midna with a grin. "Don't worry, even if you don't ask, I'll help. I need the Fused Shadow, after all. And, I'm sure the Gorons would be happy to be without it."

Link tilted his head to the side as Midna glided over to the pillars in the lava. "How do you know that?"

"Because it's the thing that transformed their leader into a mindless, raging monster," answered Midna before closing her eyes. "Now shut up so I can concentrate." Her ponytail once again morphed into a hand as one of the pillars was surrounded by an orange light and lifted into the air. Then, Midna hurled the pillar across the room, where it fell neatly into the lava. "You'd better hurry. It'll probably sink in about a minute."

Glenna and Link didn't bother with thank you's as they knew Midna well enough to know that she didn't care for their gratitude. Instead, they quickly hurried across the pillar, whose lava burned the soles of their feet. With only a little bit of difficulty, Link slid open the door which bore the Goron symbol and was made out of some slab of rock. The next room was much more intricate than the previous but, to Glenna's dismay, just as warm. "Guess I better get used to the heat," mumbled Glenna as she started down the metal staircase that they were standing on.

A large, fiery worm of sorts dropped out of seemingly no where in front of her. Glenna had half a mind to step on it, but resisted the urge and instead stabbed it to death with the Kokiri sword. "Well, monster expert, what's that beauty?" called Link as he joined Glenna and watched the slug's body decay and disappear.

"Torch slug. I read about them in one of the Royal Family's books, but I thought they were extinct. They haven't been seen... Well... It's not something I want to get into," decided Glenna as she continued down the stairs with her metal shield raised over her head. Torch slugs continued to drop down the ceiling, which Link noticed was made out of some shiny, crystalline rocks. Glenna left Link to take care of the slugs, already half-dead and extinguished from hitting the shield.

When Link had finished them off, he jogged forward to join her. "Is the heat already getting to you? Because you're acting a little bit on the insane side."

"That's not very nice," chided Glenna. "And, no. It's just that the whole concept is complicated and involves two different Links and is just, in short, confusing. Oh, look, Dodongos!" And, without another word, Glenna charged forward to stab her sword into the tail of what looked like an oversized, sleeping gecko. It was a long creature with four pairs of pink feet and a mostly green body with the exception of their glowing red tails. A few strikes from the dagger-like sword killed the creature. "You know, our tunics are made from Dodongo hide. Hence why they're fire-resistant."

Link rubbed the back of his head and ultimately chose not to say anything.

**XxxxxX**

"I-I swear, I need her. I will use her and convert her! There is no imminent need to destroy her!" protested Zant from the throne of Hyrule Castle. He was speaking to a floating, fiery amber-colored head whose most distinguishing features -- with the exception of the fire and the fact he was a floating head -- were his blank, white eyes.

The head stared at him with skepticism. "You will not convert her. And do you know why? She is fiercely loyal to the Princess. That is a kind of loyalty that cannot be easily broken -- I would know this best as I have learned it over the years. If you would like to live in your fantasy, that's fine. But I do not want to deal with her. The next time you see her face to face, you will try to 'convert' her. If that fails, you will kill her. My hands," the head broke off to laugh, or something that sounded like a sinister, dark version of one, "will already be full, I trust."

"Yes, God, I know. I do not want to trouble you," said Zant.

The God narrowed his eyes. "Then why do you sit in that chair? The chair that should be mine but is, in fact, ours. You know that projecting makes me weak, Zant. Would you really mock me by sitting in the throne when I am spending my energy to have a face-to-face discussion with you?"

"O-of course not!" choked Zant, quickly flinging himself to the floor onto his hands and knees. "My apologies. I will do whatever you ask of me, I promise."

"Then you know who you are and are not allowed to kill?"

"The boy..." trailed off Zant.

"No!" roared the God. "He is _mine_. I allowed you to transform the girl into a weak imp, did I not? I allowed you to take over Hyrule _and _the Twilight Realm. You will allow me my revenge, Zant, or suffer the consequences. Types of consequences that will no longer allow you to rule even a grain of sand. Do you understand?"

Zant nodded, keeping his eyes to the floor. "Yes."

**XxxxxX**

"A cool room," sighed Glenna with content as she and Link looked over the ledge of the metallic floor they were standing on. Below them was a small pool, halved by a gate. "Good. Geronimo!" She jumped off the edge and plunged into the water below. Link, shaking his head somewhat, followed after.

As they treaded in the water, Link remarked, "I wonder what the point of those crystalline ceilings is?"

"A pretty distraction while the Gorons work?" suggested Glenna before stretching in the water. "Speaking of work, it's back to work for us." She inhaled some oxygen before plunging under water. Link simply stared at her for a moment before following after her. When they resurfaced on the other side, they noticed the floating light coming from the ceiling. The light was aquamarine in color, like the ceiling, and looked like frozen water particles that were moving very slowly through the air. "What is that?" they wondered in unison.

Midna hovered over them with her arms behind her head. "Link, why don't you go into that light with your boots on?" At his skeptical expression, she encouraged, "It's alright! Trust me! I haven't killed you yet, have I?"

"Only a little bit on the inside," answered Glenna as Link began to swim into the light as Midna had said. As soon as he got one boot on, Link plunged to the bottom of the water, causing Glenna some alarm. Then, he got the other one on and was yanked onto the ceiling with a force that should have crushed his bones.

Link held his head a little. "That was a rush," he reported to Midna and Glenna, who wore different expressions on their faces -- one of smugness and one of surprise.

"Wow. How did you know that?" wondered Glenna.

Midna tapped the side of her head. "I used my brain."

"Well, how do I get up?"

"Hope that there are rocks sticking out of the wall so that you can climb up to there," replied the twili as she gestured lazily to another metal balcony with a door.

Glenna's face became that of disbelief. "But there _are _none."

"Transform into a wolf and claw your way up, Blondie," suggested Midna before dipping into Link's shadow.

Frowning and muttering under her breath, Glenna shouted, "I'll meet you up there!" She had never attempted to transform when she was not on dry land, but, she figured, it would be a fun new challenge. She focused all of her energy on the transformation and pictured her bones shifting in her mind. Surprised was she when her body obeyed and she became a very waterlogged white wolf. Glenna knew that was only half the challenge. The other would be sacrificing her nails and health to scale the wall.

Glenna doggy-paddled to the wall and jumped into the air. Quickly, she slid her claws into the wall and immediately began to slide down the wall. Her nails ached, but she moved one paw at a time to climb higher and higher. About ten minutes after Link dropped down in front of the door, Glenna joined him as a wolf. "Aren't you going to transform back?" wondered Link. Glenna shook her head. With whatever willpower she had left, Glenna attempted to telepathically inform him that she didn't particularly feel up to seeing what was left of her nails as a human.

Link pulled open the door, allowing Glenna to enter first. The room they entered was not filled with either fire or water but actual wood. A small Goron was seated in a sumo ring and, for a worrying second, Link thought that he had to sumo wrestle yet another elder. "Heh heh, I can tell by your face that you think each elder is going to force you to wrestle him. Well, thankfully, we're more merciful than that!" chuckled the elder. "Come closer, my boy. I am Gor Amoto, the oldest of all the Gorons."

Link approached the elder and Glenna sat at his heels, examining her shredded nails. When she chose to examine the elder, she noticed that he had small growths on his back and was steaming somewhat. He was a walking, talking geyser field. How strange. "Gor Amoto, I'm Link and this is..."

"The shape-shifter. I did not think that was true, either, but it must be!" remarked the elder as he stood up and approached Link. "I have something for you, I think. Just one minute, lad, let me give you that... Ah, where is that blasted thing?" murmured the Goron as he dug around in his beard. "Ah! Here it is. Here you go, my boy." Gor Amoto handed Link a large shard of sorts. "Only two more where this came from! I don't know how you two managed to get this far, but I feel that I must warn you that it will be even more challenging for the two of you to continue through the dungeon -- especially when one of you has the key item needed, and the other does not." The Goron's eyes fixed on Glenna for the final part of the sentence. She barked once.

Link smiled somewhat. "What I think my comrade means is that we have enough heart to struggle through this dungeon, even if it means we have to crawl."

The elder nodded and muttered, "It might come to something like that, yes..." But, he put a smile back on his face and said, "And I expect that is why Gor Coron allowed you in here in the first place. So, continue on, brave Brother... and Sister. Take care!" The only way up to the second level was, Glenna noted, a ladder. She ran forward and quickly, almost humanly, climbed the ladder. Link followed after a minute.

Glenna had her eyes on a pile of jars near another door. When one of the jars twitched, she growled and started for it. Link, however, had a feeling that he knew what -- or, rather, who -- was inside. "Wait, Glenna," said Link as he picked up the pot. As soon as he did, a small, bald head poked out.

"Oh, Link! How nice to see you again!" cried Ooccoo. Glenna stared at Link, as if asking, 'This isn't something I can eat, is it?' Link shook his head. "Since our paths have crossed again, my son and I will be joining you. If you need some fresh air out of this stuffy place, just say the word."

Link became thoughtful for a minute. "I just might take you up on that offer," he stated. "Come on, Glenna."

The next room, they found, looked quite familiar. It was the same room where they had first found Torch Slugs and Dodongos. But, they were standing on top of the closed off area with the door. And, once again, there was a shimmering mist coming from the ceiling. "I guess that means I need to use the boots, but there's no way you can get any farther in any other way," murmured Link to Glenna. "Transform back." She did as he asked and immediately looked at her finger nails, winced, and focused her attention on Link. "Okay, I want you to take my hands."

"I didn't know that stuffy, molten lava-filled dungeons were your turn on, Link," remarked Glenna with a serious face although she was undoubtedly joking.

"Just do it," sighed Link as they walked over to the mist. He put on the Iron Boots before stepping near the mist, then he took her hands.

Glenna swallowed hard. "Why do I feel like this is going to be painful, dangerous, and one of the more traumatic experiences in my life?"

"I don't think it'll top your current list of traumatic experiences," remarked Link with a grin as he stepped into the mist. Once again, he was flung up to the ceiling with a bone-crushing force. But, this time, he felt even more sure that he was going to fall off of the ceiling with Glenna's weight yanking downwards. While he was walking upside down, she was hanging right-side up with Link being the only thing that was keeping her from plunging into the lava below.

Again, Glenna swallowed hard. "Whatever you do, don't let me go," she warned.

"I know, I know," grunted Link as he began to walk across the ceiling and adjust his view to make upside-down look right-side up. "Thankfully there aren't anymore slugs up here, and the door is in plain view."

"Then, what are you waiting for?" Glenna almost cried. "This is for Hyrule. For Hyrule. For Hyrule," she reminded herself over and over again instead of the reminder that the heat caused more perspiration and, if their hands became too slick, she would fall to her certain death. Glenna swallowed back bile.

Once Glenna adjusted herself to the fact that Link liked her well enough to not let her plunge to her death, she was a bit calmer about the situation, and Link was hanging right above the door. He let her go first before removing his boots and falling in front of the door without any grace. As they entered the next room, Glenna was positive that she heard deep rumbling laughter.

The next room was not so much a room. In fact, it was an outside area. A very large outside area. Glenna stretched her hands over her head and yawned. "Midna, were you trying out some bizarre, deep laugh back there?"

Midna reappeared in front of the blonde. "No laughing from me. I didn't feel like being responsible for your death."

"But... did either of you hear that deep laughter back there?" The sounds of whizzing arrows forced Glenna to lower her arms and crawl behind a barricade of sorts. She dragged Link down with her.

"What was that?" he panted, exhausted from carrying twice his weight against gravity and from having all the blood rush to his head.

"Those are Bulbins. Not just any Bulbins, either. Those are the kind that are smart enough to use bows and arrows. Shit," growled Glenna as she poked her head a little to the side of the barricade, only to have her cheek sliced by an arrow. "Well, we're going to have to hide behind that box as soon as possible and, before they break it open, move onto another barrier." Glenna quickly stood, dragging Link up with her. "Run!"

They hurried behind the box and Glenna looked for their next route. "A door! Good." After the Bulbins fired a round of arrows at the box, Glenna dragged Link with her up a ramp and to the right -- to their freedom, a door. Link threw open the door and found that they were still outside. Glenna had not been paying too much attention to her surroundings in the previous area, so finally noticed that it was already nighttime. They'd been in the dungeon for a while already.

"More doors. And the only way across is that spinning platform. At least it has more of that iron-attracting stone," noted Link. "You ready?"

Glenna nodded although she was still trying to catch her breath. "Sure," she answered. They climbed up a wooden step so that they were standing just before the turning platform. Link had his Iron Boots held at the ready, and that's when Glenna noticed it. "Watch it!" she shouted, pushing Link down as a single arrow shot down from the overlooking cliff of the area. The arrow caught her in the shoulder only because she maneuvered herself so that it was so.

Link stared at her in shock. "That... Are you okay?!"

Glenna nodded. "This? I've had worse than this before. This would have, however, caught you straight in the heart, thus ending your journey as the 'chosen one,'" she replied, appearing shaken by the thought. Glenna covered up her fear by ripping the arrow out. "You go on. Actually, first, give me your slingshot. Alright, now, you go on. You have to come back outside eventually. I'll be waiting for you."

"But, I don't think--"

"Then don't think," replied Glenna as she took the slingshot out of his outstretched hand. Without paying anymore attention to Link, she began to shoot at the Bulbins perched atop the cliff.

Link hurried across the bridge as fast as was possible with his Iron Boots on until he was, eventually, to the door. When he reached the door, he looked back to find Glenna giving him the thumbs up.

* * *

**A/n: That wasn't the best chapter in the world, but I wanted to hurry and get it up before I had to go to bed. I hope you enjoyed the chapter nonetheless! The next one might be up tomorrow, but I'm not making any promises. **


	13. Yeah, We're Going Down

Chapter 13

**A/n: Thank you Catharsis and cwizumi for your reviews! Onto the [huge] chapter!**

_'They've got all the right friends in all the right places. So yeah, we're going down.   
We've got all the right moves and and all the wrong faces_

_They said, everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going:  
Yeah, we're going down.'  
**-"All the Right Moves" by Onerepublic**_

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* * *

  
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Glenna inhaled deeply as she grabbed a jar of red potion out of her pack. She took a sip and the pain of the wound dissipated as the magical drink healed that particular wound as well as her others. "You cover it up well, Blondie," Midna's voice remarked, startling Glenna half to death.

"I thought you were with Link?" breathed Glenna, her hand covering her heart, as she slowly sat herself down.

Midna laughed. "Eee hee hee! Yes, isn't that the beauty of being a shadow?" she remarked as she floated over to the changeling. Her form was still transparent, but she didn't appear to mind being out of the shadows at the moment. Glenna guessed that it had to do with it being nighttime. "You pretend to be all high and mighty, but you're just a mortal. I don't really think anyone expects you to proudly walk in front of them, deflecting arrows and taking shots without expressing any type of injury."

"What, are you suggesting that I bawl like a baby whenever an arrow grazes me?" asked Glenna, her eyebrows drawn together.

Midna laughed once more, but it sounded more sincere to Glenna this time. "Not exactly. I'm just saying that you shouldn't deceive Link into thinking you're someone that you're not."

"Listen, Midna," began Glenna with a heated tone, "This is what I've been doing since I was six. I took enemy fire and had to pretend that it didn't hurt so badly so that Zelda wouldn't dismiss me, or pity me. Goddesses know she pities me enough. If we were to all focus on our individual pain, then we would miss a hell of a lot, don't you think?"

For a second, Midna simply stared at Glenna. Then, she nodded as she wore a thoughtful expression. "That's pretty deep coming from you, Blondie."

Glenna smiled. "Maybe if you spent less time insulting me and more time listening, you would see that I'm capable of such depth."

"Maybe," replied Midna smoothly. "But that would make being around you so dull."

**XxxxxX**

The next elder that Link found in the shrine had skinny limbs, and a hunched back. Growing on his back, Link noticed, that there was either a very thick kayer if grey rock growing, or the elder's hair was never-ending. He had a long grey beard and dreadlocks that just about reached his droopy, large lips. Despite the dreadlocks, Link expected the elder to speak in a monotone. What actually happened was quite the surprise: "Ah, young Brudda! I was told of your arrival... but I thought I heard you had a companion?" Link simply nodded. "At any rate, I am Gor Ebizo! Here is the second key shard, Brudda, but I give to you a warning with it. The path here on out will only get more difficult... and dangerous. The path to the next elder and the patriarch will require that you have skill with the treasure held with the Goron in the next room.

"It has been passed down from elders of old. It was used by an ancient hero who had once saved this land. However, the bow is from that of another land. I cannot remember the name anymore, if I ever knew it at all, but the Hero used the bow to save the land and its people from total annihilation."

Gor Ebizo paused to offer Link a smile with his droopy lips. "It seems that the time is now upon Hyrule again. I do not know what plagues this kingdom, Brudda, but I have no doubt that the Hero's treasure that was given to us so long ago is needed again. In the next room, there is a guard, Dangoro, in charge of protecting the bow. Tell him your business, get the treasure, and liberate Darbus!"

Link nodded as he squeezed the shard in his hand. "I promise I will. Thank you."

**XxX**

"I wonder if Zant knows about you, Midna," remarked Glenna as she slid her sword back into its sheath. A blue Tekitite was flat on its back, one long, hairy leg twitching just before it decayed and disappeared.

"No, and he can't. If he knows that I'm here... Well, not that it can get much worse than this, but a meeting won't warrant any positive results," replied the imp as a door on the second level slid open. Link appeared with the key shard in hand.

"The elder told me that there's a guard in the next room protecting a treasure that he said will help us," he remarked before jumping down to where the next door was.

Glenna stretched her arms. "Guard? Do you have to fight him."

"Nope. All he said was that the guard knows that we're here," answered Link. "But how are you going to get up?" Glenna nodded to the beams that led up to the platform Link was standing on.

"I'll meet you," she offered as Midna floated over the water and into Link's shadow. He nodded and opened the door.

The next room was indoors and relatively small in comparison to some of the previous ones. There were two catwalks -- one of which Link was standing on -- separated by a large, magnetic arena. Sitting in the center of the arena was, to say the least, a very magnificent Goron. The Goron was gigantic in size and was covered by very lethal-looking armor. There were only two things that his large helmet allowed Link to see: a pair of beady, icy blue eyes and a point on the head. Link swallowed hard, grateful that he did not have to fight the Goron even if he had fought a twenty-foot, poison-spitting plant in the Forest temple.

When Link jumped into the arena, the Goron rose to his feet. His hard expression had not changed; he stared at Link like he was the enemy. "Uh..." Link began.

"Human, how did you get so far into our mines? Our traps should not allow it!" growled Dangoro. "Why do you think you are allowed to sneak into here, little human? You have no business here! This is the pride and joy of the Gorons!"

"But, I'm just here for the--"

"I know what you here for!" roared Dangoro. "And I do not care who sent you to get it! It is my job as guard to protect the Hero's treasure!" Both doors in the room became gated and slammed shut.

Link couldn't help but think how things were going from bad to worse. He unsheathed his sword and thanked the Goddesses that he had thought to put on his Iron Boots ahead of time. Dangoro approached him in a slow, menacing fashion. When he came closer to Link, he fisted his hands together and raised them over his head. Link quickly rolled out of the way as the Goron slammed into the arena with a force that would have sent Link flying, even without being the target of the attack. "Oh, clever little human! I will destroy you!"

"Link," called Midna from his shadow, "you need to do what you did with the Gorons outside the mine. Hit him when his guard is weak!"

"Have you seen this guy? There is no weak guard," protested Link.

Midna sighed. "I meant right before he attacks you. It's risky, but since when has anything on this journey been safe?" As Midna was speaking, Dangoro approached Link once again, this time with one fist raised. "Ready, steady, hit him!" Link raised his sword and slashed at Dangoro's stomach, surprising the Goron somewhat. He did it several more times, until the Goron rolled into a ball.

Link was not naïve enough to believe he had beaten the Goron. Dangoro began to spin, so Link quickly sheathed his sword in enough time to grab the Goron and hurl him over his shoulder. That was when he recalled what Glenna had said earlier in the mine: "A Goron can dive into that lava and emerge totally unaffected. It would be just like a really hot bath for them," Dangoro jumped back onto the arena, shaking it something terrible, and narrowed his eyes. "You strong for human, but you should know that the lava won't hurt me! I will show you the true meaning of hurt!" Dangoro began to approach Link, but fell short with his arm raised, so Link quickly took off his Iron Boots so that he could attack him.

Instead of punching him, Dangoro began to roll around the arena, until he knocked into Link, who went flying to the opposite end. As the large Goron approached him, the arena on Link's side began to tilt toward the lava, and Link couldn't scramble up fast enough.

**XxxxxX**

Glenna found, after she managed to painfully scale to the top of the platform, that the door was stuck. Whether it was because she was not as strong as Link or because it had gotten stuck after he went inside, she did not know. All she knew was that leaving her outside, in the dark, made her very angry. She pounded into the slab of rock with her shoulder. "Open! Come on, you damned thing... Open!" She shouted as she continuously slammed into the door. Then, as if she thought her attacks had helped, she put her hands on the rock and attempted to push it open. Still nothing. Glenna was seething where she stood, pounding on the door with her fists.

A laugh, sounding like the one from earlier, sounded behind her. She turned her head but somehow did not expect to find anyone standing there although she had hoped the elder had heard her struggles and came to help. Glenna felt compelled to place her hands back on the door in a calm fashion although she was still raging. She felt some sort of force on top of her hands, and they moved -- without her orders -- to open the door. And, amazingly enough, the door opened. "Thank you, whatever you are," she said to the empty area before entering the guard's room.

Once inside, she found Link in quite a bit of trouble. With wide eyes, she shouted at the guard to stop, for he appeared to be ready to knock Link into the lava. Her body morphed, and Glenna raced off of the catwalk and onto Dangoro's back. The Goron began to shout and took a few steps back, restoring the arena to an equilibrium of balance. Link climbed back up and crawled away from the edge before replacing his Iron Boots as Dangoro threw Glenna onto the catwalk. Dangoro rolled into a ball once again and prepared to knock into Link. As the Goron rolled into him, Link caught him and threw him in the lava once again. Even if it wasn't particularly affecting the Goron, Link knew it was the best strategy.

As the Goron jumped back onto the arena, Link changed out of the boots and raced at him in an attempt to get an attack in. Dangoro raised his fisted hands over his head and slammed into the ground, flinging Link up and over the arena. "By order of the Princess Zelda of Hyrule, I reserve the right to claw and bite your face off if you allow the Chosen Hero to melt in the lava!" shouted Glenna once she reverted to her human form.

A look of shock passed over Dangoro's face as Glenna's words registered. He reached out and grabbed the back of Link's shirt, pulling him to safety. The arena was lifted back onto the chains that held it secure. "Brother, I did not know who you were! I so sorry, Brother!"

"Yeah... No problem, consider it forgotten," breathed Link, trying to get in as much oxygen as was possible after coming the closest he ever had to dying.

"Now I remember! You are the pair here to liberate the patriarch! In that case, you'll need the bow!" decided Dangoro as he jumped up to reach a chain that was dangling from the ceiling. A panel in the ceiling slid open, and a very large chest fell onto the arena. Link backed up just in time to avoid being crushed by it.

Glenna jumped down to join them. She threw open the chest and drew a recurve bow made of mostly wood. Its handle was mostly made of some sort of metal, while its upper and lower limbs were made of a more golden metal. She pulled on the bow a little. "It's in great condition," she remarked.

"We have taken very good care of it for many centuries," proclaimed Dangoro proudly. "You are going to use it to free our patriarch?"

Link nodded. "Yes."

"Then, good luck! Oh, be careful, too!" he added as the gate over the second door slid open.

"Are you alright? You looked close to tears down there," remarked Glenna with a certain smugness as they entered the next room.

Link scowled. "I almost fell into lava, so even if I was crying -- and I'm definitely not saying I was -- it wouldn't be without cause."

"Okay, whatever you say," she sang. "Anyway, I'll keep a hold on this bow. I'm a good shot, and I can't see you ever even holding one before."

He had to give her that one, because it was true. "Who made you a good shot?"

"I learned from the best," answered Glenna with a wink. The next room didn't seem very exciting to Link as he looked around. It was dark, slightly less warm than the previous one (although bits of ash were still floating around), and filled with statues that were stationed in front of gates. Come to think of it, Link could not even locate a door out of the room.

As they stepped into the center of the room, a gate slid over the door they had just walked through. "That's an ominous sign," noted Glenna. "I wonder how long we can stay locked in this room before we succumb to heat exhaustion."

"Instead of focusing on that, why don't we focus on finding a way out of here?" suggested Link instead, earning a bodiless, eerie giggle to sound from his shadow.

Glenna nodded and walked north, leaning on the rectangular, metal statue. "It's funny, but the more I look at these statues, the more they remind me of _something _but I'm not so sure what..."

"Glenna, that statue you're leaning against has an eye," remarked Link, "and it's glowing."

She waved him off. "That's not possible. That would have to mean that it's not a statue."

"Which would make it what?"

"A Beamos. Machine-type things that shoot lasers out of their single red eyes," she replied before blinking. "Why is that impossible again?" The sound of sliding metal emitted as the rotating head on all of the "statues", or Beamos, in the room began to move.

Glenna quickly retreated to Link's side, and the two of them raised their shields. "That explains the gated door," noted Link. "You would think that the traps would decrease the farther we get into the temple."

"I wonder how many of these were put in before the patriarch turned into a monster," came Glenna's response as she squinted past the form of the Beamos that she had been leaning against. "You know, I think that there's a door behind that thing, but I don't know how to move it."

"Kill it." Link almost blurted out the response. The Beamos' eyes all stopped on Link and Glenna, standing like fools in the center of the room. "Before they kill us!"

Glenna nodded and notched an arrow in the bow, pointing it at the Beamos straight ahead of her. She released the arrow before the Beamos charged a beam at them. Then, she asked, "Hey, do you have any bombs on you?"

"Sorry, Glenna, but I don't make it a habit to keep any spare bombs on me at any given moment. Hell, no, Glenna," Link added, dropping the sarcasm. "I've never held a bomb in my life."

"Too bad, it would really help right about now," she remarked as she turned to block a Beamos' beam. "Listen, we have to move. I can't shoot an arrow if those things are busy trying to separate my arm from its socket."

Link grabbed her right arm and dragged her into one of the empty fenced sections. "Try now," he said as he knelt in the doorway with his shield raised. One of the Beamos had a laser fixed on the shield, slowly pushing Link backwards. "Am I glad that I bought this from Malo..." Glenna notched another arrow and shot at the Beamos that was attacking Link. Then, she moved herself to a different part of the room to have better aim at two more Beamos. She released two arrows, effectively destroying the machines.

"The one Beamos that we haven't killed is the one with the door behind it," murmured Glenna, tugging on her tunic a little and wiping the sweat from her forehead. "And it's placed so that it can't be shot from here. If you'll cover me, I can shoot it from the center of the room."

Link nodded. "Well, what did you expect?" he added at the look on her face. "Me to say no?" Glenna shrugged as he rolled into the center of the room, immediately raising his shield. The Beamos' beam was just on the edge of the shield, close to piercing Link's chest. "Not to put you under any pressure, but, could you kill that thing before it hits me?"

Glenna grinned, narrowing her eyes into focus at the beady, ruby eye as she notched another arrow. Once she was sure that her aim was good, Glenna released the arrow, which promptly cracked the gem. The Beamos' head joined its body once more, and the eye turned black. "Alright!" cried Glenna, clapping Link on the back. "We actually did it! Now, to move that thing out of our way..." She approached the Beamos and stood beside it and, with the least amount of grace that Link had ever seen out of her, Glenna kicked the now-broken machine.

With a large creak, the Beamos began to fall and hit the ground with a crash. She wiped her hands together and stood at the door, only to realize Link was still in the center of the room. "What're you staring for? Let's get going!"

Link shook his head as she pushed the door open. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"That makes me... ah, less dull to travel with, right?" asked Glenna with a secretive smile as she stepped through the door. The question, Link could tell, was not meant for him. A cool breeze blew through the air and gently hit their faces. Once again, they were outside. This time, the sky was a little less dark. "This is that... outdoor place with the archers, right? I wonder why there are so many?"

Link raised his shield and took a few steps ahead of Glenna. He stared around in the darkness and realized that he could see where the Bulbins were standing as clearly as if it was daylight. Their were many pairs of piercing red eyes stationed all over the place. "So that's how you see 'em, huh?"

"It only takes one well-aimed arrow to kill a Bulbin. Or send it sprawling to its death," added Glenna in afterthought. "So let's take out a few of them. I don't like the idea of running around on this loading dock in the dark when they're stationed all over the place." Glenna picked off a few of the Bulbins standing at the very top of the cliffs and some that were on a platform at the very back of the area. "This looks pretty good. Let's go up there," she gestured to a high area with a large machine. "That way, we can use that thing," she gestured to a magnetic crane.

They walked across the dock slowly and cautiously to an area just below their targeted area. "It looks like there should be something that leads up to where want to go, but this place is completely empty," murmured Link. "Maybe there's a hidden trigger, like there was in Dangoro's room."

"So, what are you suggesting? Should we pound the hell out of the walls?"

Link nodded. "Exactly." They placed their weapons on top of a nearby box and began to pound on the walls, but the only result was dirt falling onto them. "Or not." An arrow whizzed through the air from near the machine. It completely missed Link and Glenna, but hit an area behind them. A panel in the wall slid open to reveal stairs.

"Man, I love it when the bad guys do all the work for you!" remarked Glenna as she picked up the bow and handed Link his sword.

"Let me go first," said Link as he raised his shield with one hand and held his sword at ready in the other. "Since there are archers up there." Glenna did not argue as he started up the stairs.

Glenna followed behind Link, slowly, with an arrow already notched in the bow. "I love it. This is just like a siege," she remarked as she watched Link run towards the Bulbins with his shield raised and his sword pointed outwards. She hung back and allowed Link to take care of what Bulbins he could while she took care of the excess with the arrows.

"Alright, so, I think this area has been liberated. Let's turn on that baby and see what it can do," suggested Glenna as she and Link stood in front of the bulky machine. He threw its switch, and the crane just in in front of them, over the dock, came to life. "More magnetism," she added when she noticed the blue glow.

Link changed into his Iron Boots and stepped onto the wooden railing, holding out his hands for Glenna. She grabbed onto them, and they jumped into the shimmering light, just to be dragged onto the crane. The crane moved to a back area, of whose existence they hadn't known. "There's our next door," stated Link as they stared at a large, maroon-colored drawbridge covered with golden symbols. "We need to shoot at the rope holding it closed."

"But a bow takes two hands," protested Glenna. "How are we supposed to do that?" A sudden raining of arrows startled both Link and Glenna into releasing their hands. Glenna plunged into the water. When she resurfaced, the crane had moved back to its previous area, and the Bulbins appeared to be confused about the whereabouts of their prey. _'Good.' _She grabbed the bow off of her shoulder and pushed her hair out of her eyes as she aimed at the rope. The arrow hit part of the rope with enough force to break the whole thing.

As the drawbridge fell, the crane returned, and Glenna plunged underwater to avoid being hit. Link dropped onto the open door and held out a hand to help Glenna. "Well, all I have to say is that I am thankful there were no archers in that lava-filled room," she told Link, who smiled sheepishly in response. "I bet the last elder's right up ahead."

**XxX**

The elder inside of the next room was, in Link and Glenna's opinion, the most interesting. The walls were covered with mostly Dodongo skins, but also some Torch Slugs. Unlike the other elders, he was quite skinny and small. His body was covered in different shades of color, making them wonder if it was war paint, some type of tattoos, or a mutation. He had a small amount of dreadlocks for hair and had a red and orange hat-type object on the top of his head. As they stepped into the ring, the elder opened his eyes, which were a dark indigo.

"I have awaited your arrival, young humans. The others have been debating about how far you two would get in our mines, but I have had faith the whole time," remarked the Goron, once again making Link wonder how the elders communicated when they were so very far apart. "I carry the last shard of the boss key. That is, I trust, what you have come for?"

Link nodded as he held out the other two pieces, which he had already connected. "Ah, how very rude of me. I am Gor Liggs, and here is your final piece." He offered the third piece to Link, who combined it to make a very big key. "The next room, to, has been infiltrated by monsters, so be wary. The room after is where the patriarch is residing. I ask you, Brother and Sister, to be very careful. Use all of the skills that you have in your brains; you will need them."

"Thank you," said Glenna as she started for the door. "But don't worry about it. There's no way we would have made it this far without using our heads."

"Yes, your heads. Do not forget to use your heads. If you use your hearts, I'm afraid, you will lose to the patriarch. Good luck."

Link and Glenna walked into the next room without saying anything. The room had a long, metal stairway that led to a concrete platform with two wooden watchtowers. And, naturally, there was lava behind the platform and underneath the staircase. "That elder really seems concerned. I wonder what he saw that we didn't," remarked Link as Glenna aimed an arrow at a rope holding another drawbridge shut.

"Don't know," answered Glenna as the drawbridge fell. "It looks pretty empty there; there's just a bunch of columns, and there's nothing in here. I wonder what that elder was talking about..."

"Maybe we should be counting our blessings then," suggested Link as he walked over the drawbridge and entered the next area. As Glenna had said, there were four columns on either side of them. A long, red velvet carpet ran from a door with an intricate lock to the drawbridge.

As they followed the carpet to the door, a scraping sound seemed to come from the ceiling. They stopped and looked up to find several pairs of red eyes and a few Dodongos. "Oh," was all Glenna could say. The Bulbins dropped from several ropes, and the Dodongos dropped in front of Glenna, effectively separating Link and Glenna.

Some of the Bulbins moved back toward the drawbridge while a couple with clubs approached Link directly. Link deflected the arrows from the Bulbins on the drawbridge while he swiped at the ones armed with clubs. Glenna, in the meantime, stood in front of the Dodongos until they opened their mouths to breathe fire. Then, she shoot arrows in them, effectively causing them to choke to death. She turned just in time to find Link standing behind her. "WE did pretty well," remarked Link as they both examined the wounds the other had. Glenna had a few burn marks and Link had a few cuts from the clubs.

"Stop beating around the bush then!" ordered Midna as she appeared between them. "I want that Fused Shadow still, you know."

"Right, right. Sorry," replied Glenna.

**XxX**

The next room was the darkest that they had been to yet. There were several pillars arranged in a circular fashion, separating the room into a thin outer circle and wide inner circle. And in the very center of the room was there bounty. A hulking black figure with chains around his wrists and ankles was standing in the very center of the inner circle. A mask with a gem in the center covered his forehead and the back of his head. "...Wow," remarked Link.

"And we're supposed to...?" wondered Glenna.

"Subdue him."

"Not kill him?"

"Only if you want the Gorons to become even more ferocious," replied Link.

Glenna bit her lip. "Well, good. I think it'll be hard enough to subdue him." They slowly approached the figure of the patriarch. Once they were relatively close to him, the gem on his forehead sparked, revealing an orange color with something black in the center. Like a pupil. Fyrus' eyes flew open to reveal red slits and he instantly lowered his face to about Link and Glenna's level and roared, revealing decay-smelling breath. Then, he straightened open, still roaring, and his body became ignited with flame, forcing Link and Glenna to back off. The room instantly became much brighter. Still roaring loud enough to break the sound barrier, Fyrus tugged on his wrist chains.

"Move!" ordered Link, pulling Glenna to the safety of the wall as two of the pillars came crumbling to the ground. Link stared at the glimmering floor which was covered partially in tile and partially in the magnetic rock. "But why...?" With a burst of flame, Fyrus released his chains from the pillars although they still remained attached to him. "I'll go after him with the sword. Glenna, you move around until you can shoot at that gem on his forehead, understand?"

Glenna nodded as she removed the bow from her shoulder and notched an arrow, watching Link run after Fyrus like some sort of a madman. She moved to the right as Fyrus turned around and quickly aimed at the gem, but she missed by a mile. She tried again with the same result. The third time, she still could not hit him. "Why?!" she demanded.

"Not to question your skills, Blondie, but if you don't account for the trembling that big boy over here's causing, and your hands are shaking," Midna lazily informed Glenna from where she was floating near one of the pillars. "And, make no mistake, that helmet-thing that he's wearing is a Fused Shadow."

Midna's words weren't meant to chastise or tease Glenna, but, she realized, to inform her. Glenna hid her surprise as she inhaled deeply and released an arrow, accounting for the trembling in the room. Fyrus stumbled back a few steps and roared as the gem shattered ever so slightly. "And, you, o Hero!" called Midna to Link. "Grab onto those chains!"

Link made a dive for one of the chains and succeeded in grabbing it, but it did not slow Fyrus down as he covered his face and began rampaging around the room. Glenna moved as Fyrus knocked into the pillar she was standing near. Then, Link remembered the floor. "Shit," he breathed as Fyrus turned around to grab the chain that Link was attached to. He knocked the chain into the wall, and Link fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Li--!" Glenna began although she quickly stopped herself. Gor Liggs had advised against them using their hearts for this battle, and she knew that he had to be old and wise enough to know what he was talking about. So, instead, she notched another arrow as Fyrus calmed himself and started for her. She accounted for the trembling and hit the gem on his forehead a second time. As Fyrus began to rampage, she called, "Midna, give me the Iron Boots!"

Midna raised her eyebrows with surprise. "Way to think, Blondie," she complimented Glenna before snapping. The boots floated over to Glenna, who quickly discarded her own and grabbed onto the chain, her boots magnetically stuck to the floor. She tugged, and Fyrus collapsed to the ground. Link came rushing in and slashed his sword into the gem. Before he could shatter it completely, Fyrus rose and knocked the remainder of the pillars down with his chains.

"I hope that those weren't necessary to keep the ceiling up," murmured Glenna as she threw the bow to Link. "Hey! Catch!" Link caught the bow easily and quickly shot an arrow that way missed its target. "Concentrate!" Glenna and Midna ordered.

Fyrus was coming too close to Link for comfort, so Glenna grabbed two of the chains in her hand and held him still. He glanced back at her and retaliated by summoning a wall of fire that knocked her and Link off their feet but, luckily, did not burn them too badly because of the tunics. While he was flat on his back, Link aimed another arrow and succeeded in hitting the gem. Just a few more blows would destroy it completely... "Glenna!" he called.

Glenna nodded and pulled even harder on the chains, causing Fyrus to stumble and fall to the ground. Link rushed in once again and whacked the gem a couple more times before using the final blow on it. The gem shattered audibly, and the fire disappeared from Fyrus' body resulting in darkness once more. The Fused Shadow left his head and fell into Midna's open body. A soft light covered the room as Fyrus' body became rockier, shorter, and much thicker. "So that's the patriarch. Well, isn't he something? Eee hee hee!" remarked Midna as the Fused Shadow disappeared. "I'll just keep this. Not bad team work, you two. Of course, you would have been completely hopeless without my guidance."

Midna floated down to their level, ignoring Darbus' grunts about where he was and why he was there. "You know, Zant usurped the throne from royalty in the Twilight Realm just like he did here. Only, he killed the King and Queen which you two should hope is not the case for Zelda. Not that I wish that upon her, anyway... My King and Queen were so strict, so calloused... but your Zelda is... not. She seems undisciplined and attached. As a princess, her life is luxurious, and everyone loves her. That wasn't the way it was back at home. Many people hated the royalty because their laws did not please everyone. It's strange. But, I suppose, Zelda's not a bad girl. She just seems to not be the royal type."

"Don't say that to her," warned Glenna. "She's constantly on edge about how she is as a monarch. Her parents both passed when she was young, so she has no idea whether or not what she is doing is right. It plagues her every day... And this whole twilight nonsense has, no doubt, worsened it. But she's a good ruler. Is she ready to take the responsibilities of a queen yet? No. But I still think she's excellent." Her blue eyes were narrowed somewhat and fierce.

Midna blinked in surprise. "Underneath that exterior, Blondie, you're not so bad after all. Now, let's get out of here." Midna raised her arms, and the three of them disappeared into twilight fragments.

**XxxxxX**

"The Fused Shadow from the Goron Mines has fallen into the hands of those bumbling idiots, Zant," the God informed his only worshipper. At this, Zant pounded his fists against the floor in a manic explosion. "But calm yourself and fear not. I have one more trick up my sleeve that will take care of them."

**XxxxxX**

Glenna and Link reappeared outside of the mine, just near the volcanic rock... and Gor Coron was waiting for them. "I felt a great evil lifted from the mines, and I'm guessing that I have you two to thank for that," remarked the elder, "so I thank you. Where is Darbus?"

"He's in the room where he was locked up... I don't think he remembers anything," informed Link. "If that's any constellation. You can tell him whatever you want."

Gor Coron nodded. "You two are quite amazing for young humans. I'm sorry I didn't mention the amount of monsters in the mine."

"And didn't you say something about being too old to stick around? You're the youngest of all the elders!" chided Glenna. "You lied about that, too. If they can do it, so can you. But... I'm guessing that you were the most recent elder, so I guess it's understandable."

The Goron nodded. "At any rate, I wanted to tell you that even though you have liberated Darbus, the eruptions have not stopped."

"Why would that be?" wondered Link.

"I don't know that we can help you with that, elder," Glenna told him. "We've done all we can for you."

Before another word was said, a large form burst forth from the source of the explosions, immediately stopping them. The sky began to darken to a sickly green-black combination. Glenna took a few steps backwards. "This can't be good."

"This cannot be! That... that thing! It's... it's an ancient dragon. One that I have only seen in mythical books!"

"A dragon?" demanded Link as the figure flew straight at them. He unsheathed his sword and raised his shield. "What kind of dragon?"

"Volvagia!" Gor Coron spat the name like a curse. He rolled into a ball as the long, fiery serpent came upon them, snatching Link and Glenna in its claws.

* * *

**A/n: I have a secret love affair with Volvagia, hence why he'll be in the next chapter. I think that I made Glenna an archer because I used to be crazy about Inuyasha... and Kagome and Kikyou were two of my favorite characters. If you've never seen/read the series, then you probably don't understand. They're both archers. :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I will definitely try to update tomorrow.**


	14. The Age of Man is Over

**Chapter 14**

**A/n: I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve and New Year's day! I, admittedly, spent some of mine dancing in my bedroom to a few CD's. It was great. xD' For future record, after the Lakebed Temple, the story line is going to veer away from TP's. In a way. You'll see. Thank you once again cwizumi!**

_'The age of man is over._

_A darkness comes, and all these lessons that we learned here_

_have only just begun.'_

**-"Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars**

**

* * *

  
**

With a screech that sent the Gorons taking cover in whatever hole they could find, Volvagia soared above the mines and returned to the area it had flown out of. It landed on the rim of the volcano that was the source of the explosions. Ash was rising out of the mouth of the Composite volcano. Volvagia dropped Glenna and Link on the edge and flew back into the air.

"This was not part of the plan," complained Glenna as she fell to one knee. "A dragon living in Death Mountain. Who would have thought."

Link was doubling over somewhat, but he was trying his best to seem alright. "All we can do is defeat it and get back to Kakariko as soon as possible."

"Monsters, I can handle. Your average daily ones. Even an overgrown, demented plant because it resembles a Deku Baba. A possessed patriarch's alright, too, because all we had to do was destroy the gem on his forehead. The twilight monsters were just a bit of a push. But now a dragon?" Glenna shook her head as she fell to her other knee. "I just can't do it anymore, Link. I can't do it. I know exhausting, but this is... insane."

He glanced down at her. "You can't just up and quit now, Glenna. It's way too late. Somehow, we managed to get through a treacherous, fiery dungeon together. And it's only going to get worse from here on out. But I saw the way you defended Zelda back there, and if we don't keep going on, then she won't be saved. Wouldn't that be a crappy way to repay her -- and even me -- for everything we've done for you?"

Glenna bit her lip. "But I'm just so..."

"She's tired, Link," Midna told him without really needing to. She was hovering behind them. "So she's saying really stupid things that she doesn't mean. Sometimes, Glenna, the danger doesn't just go away when you've finished one task. And even if you're exhausted, you have to fight with all your being for it. Because, if you don't, you'll have to live with the fact that you let it get away. Does that sound like something you want to do?"

No, of course. Of course that's not what Glenna wanted. And Midna brought up a valid point. "No time to argue it, I guess," breathed Glenna as she stood, then fell back to one knee. Link held out his hand.

"Come on. We can do this together."

Glenna pushed herself up and used Link's weight to fully stand. "Alright, alright. What do you suggest we do?"

"...I can't say. I've never read about dragons before," murmured Link.

"Really?" asked Glenna, clearly surprised. "Well, let's see... If you chop off the heads of most living creatures, they'll die. I'll distract him and you can try to lob his head off." Link stared at her for a moment with his mouth hanging slightly open from the cheery way that she delivered the particular instructions. "What?"

Link simply shook his head as Volvagia returned. "Stay on your toes. If you drop your guard, you'll either fall down the side of the mountain or fall inside of the volcano."

"And all of our careful work in the mines would have been for nothing," sighed Glenna as she held the bow in her hands, notching an arrow as she began to walk rightwards as she attempted to get a shot at the flaming dragon. Volvagia was truly a sight to see. His body was the very color of flames, the top the color of red and black, and his underside orange and yellow. A flaming mane rose from his neck, and he wore what looked like a helmet (but was actually an exoskeleton of sorts) over his face. Although Gor Coron had called Volvagia a dragon, and the fact he could fly around, he had no wings, only arms. "He's like... a flying serpent."

Volvagia moved surprisingly fast. By the time Glenna had finished analyzing him, he was hanging in front of Link, staring at him with his neon green eyes. As a rule, the majority of people accepted all dragons as fire-breathers -- just in case. Link quickly raised his shield, hiding what parts of his body he could as Volvagia opened his mouth and breathed fire. Link shielded himself well enough to only scorch his clothing and avoid his skin.

The dragon took back off into the air and immediately plunged within the volcano. "I hate this. It's like there's no simple way to defeat him," remarked Glenna as she stared within the bowels of the volcano. "But I know that there's not always a clear answer, anyway." At that moment, the mountain began to shake violently, and Glenna forced herself to fall away from the crater while Link plunged his sword into the ground and held on. Rocks began to violently and constantly spit out of the volcano, raining down on random locations of Death Mountain. Glenna and Link only bothered to attempt to protect their heads, knowing that they could, likely, live with any other injuries.

"Beast! Not let you hurt new friends or Death Mountain anymore!" came a sudden roar from behind Link and Glenna. Climbing up the side of the mountain was an ordinary Goron with a ferocious expression.

Volvagia resurfaced from the crater, cutting the explosion short, and started straight for the Goron. "Link! Stop him!" cried Glenna as she watched the dragon hurl itself at the unarmed Goron.

Link hurled his sword at Volvagia, who strategically moved his body to avoid the blow. His claws, outstretched, snatched the Goron up into his hands. The sword clattered down the side of the mountain, and Link reached out to it even though he knew it would not make the sword return. Meanwhile Glenna stood, wide-eyed, as Volvagia dangled the Goron over his open mouth. The Goron shouted and cried uselessly, and Glenna raised her shaking hands to shoot at the dragon.

The arrow pierced into one of Volvagia's arms, but it did not stop him from dropping the Goron into his waiting mouth. At this point, Glenna dropped her head in order to pretend that the chomping noises were something else completely. When it was over, she lifted her head back up only to find herself and Volvagia on the summit, but she was strangely calm about it. Volvagia flew toward her, whipping his flaming mane behind him as he moved. Glenna lifted the bow once more, but Volvagia's tail somehow rose up and knocked it out of her hands. "Is that how you want to play? Well, who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"

Glenna transformed, surprising the dragon, and jumped at Volvagia's throat. She tore her claws into the soft underbelly since she knew that the face was a no-go. "Eee hee hee! Oh, I wonder where the Hero went? You look like you're enjoying yourself."

Midna was floating, transparently, in the air. Her tone was a smug as ever, but her face seemed interested and a tad concerned. Glenna threw her a look that clearly said, _'Now is not the time for a distraction.' _

"You're trying to read me, Blondie. Don't be fooled by my expression. I just want to get to the final province to get the last Fused Shadow as soon as possible," informed Midna. "Nothing personal."

Volvagia circled around the summit a few times before flying forward with his claw outstretched. Glenna jumped to the side, snarling, and the dragon whipped his head. The mane flipped toward Glenna, catching her in the face and causing her to howl in pain as she flipped over. A sword plunged into the edge of the summit, and Link pulled himself up. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, which made sense as he had made it down to his sword and back to the summit in record timing.

"What happened?" Link asked the transparent imp when he saw Glenna rubbing her face with her paws.

"I guess wolves aren't a big fan of fire," answered Midna simply before sighing loudly, stretching her arms over her head. "Anyway, can you hurry it up? That next Fused Shadow is waiting."

"And it's not going anywhere, Midna," argued Link as he walked over to Glenna. "As much as I'd like to focus on the future, we're not getting to that Fused Shadow if this dragon kills us first."

Midna waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Just move it, hm? Before another Goron gets eaten?" she suggested before disappearing into Link's shadow.

"Pull it together, Glenna," said Link as he raised his sword and shield. The wolf stood up with newfound determination as Glenna stood at his side with her teeth bared at the dragon.

**XxxxxX**

The meals that Zelda was granted were not particularly appetizing or filling, so she did not mind when she stood up with the piece of stale bread and few pieces of meat in her hand. One of her guards was a rookie -- that much was obvious. He was also a resident of the light realm. How a simple Bulbin managed to retain its form under the twilight influence was an absolute mystery to Glenna, one that she did not care to resolve at that moment.

The goddess Nayru had blessed her with the ability to withstand the twilight with her mortal form, rather than one of a beast, like Link, or even Glenna. But Glenna was something completely different to begin with, anyway. And, Zelda realized, she was currently distracting herself from her current task. Her very important task. "I'm not hungry," Zelda announced to the Bulbin.

The Bulbin growled in response, obviously hating that the food would go straight to the trash as it had before. When Zant had first taken over Hyrule, Zelda had gone a hunger strike. She had, eventually, given in and began to eat, for she knew that starving herself to death would accomplish nothing for Hyrule. Now her stomach growled in revolt as she handed the food over to the monster. The Bulbin's face contorted into confusion at the sound of her stomach. "I want you to have it. Being a rookie, I imagine that all of the larger, older guards get all of the good food while you are left with gruel. It's a pity, really."

Now he began to shake his head, and Zelda knew why he was hesitating although his stomach also growled in response to, what he thought, the lovely meal. The Bulbin was afraid that Zant would know it was him, and he would be killed. "Fear not. You can eat it in here, and Zant will be none the wiser." Zelda returned to the relatively comfortable bed and threw her hair over her right shoulder. Her hair was becoming ratty from being unwashed and, as she ran her fingers through it, she noted the sheer amount of knots and tangles through it. Hoping that she appeared substantially preoccupied to the Bulbin, she began to work her hair into a braid. _'I bet I look just like the average damsel in distress who has been locked in a tower. Like Rapunzel, I suppose.' _

But, of course, that was all part of Zelda's façade. Her eyes darted up quickly to examine the Bulbin, who was shoving the food down his throat. An inured animal that is taken in by a caring human being will not, at first, take food from their caretaker for fear that it is poisoned. However, if the animal trusts the person enough, it will eat the food. A sly smile appeared on her lips as she returned her eyes to her hair and continued to braid.

**XxxxxX**

Glenna sunk her teeth into Volvagia's neck as he paused to breathe fire at Link. While she held him somewhat, sort of, still, Link stabbed at the dragon. Volvagia freed himself, throwing Glenna off, and Link's sword moved downward, striking one of the neon eyes. The dragon screeched in pain and struggled to relieve the pain. He struck his head from side to side until Link yanked the sword out. Glenna barked her approval as Volvagia took to the air once more, but he did so a bit more shakily.

"So we blind him, then we stab him to death," remarked Link. "Sounds good to me. Doable, at least." He picked the Hero's Bow up and held it out to her. Glenna reverted to her human form and took it from him.

"I just doubt that, even blinded in one eye, Volvagia's going to let up easy enough to let us stab him again," said Glenna.

"Then I guess we'll just have to take any opening we get."

"Any?" asked Glenna.

Link nodded. "Any."

Volvagia returned to just about their level, whipping his tail in a graceful arc. Glenna and Link were prepared to avoid the blow, but they had no need. The tail missed them by a longshot, instead beating the side of the mountain. "Well, I'm liking the lack of peripheral vision, at least," noted Glenna.

Screeching with frustration, Volvagia tail whipped the side of the mountain again with enough force to bring the two hylians to their feet. The dragon snaked through the air and reached his claw for Link. Glenna notched an arrow and drew the bowstring taut, but she was knocked clear away from them by Volvagia's strong tail. Volvagia snatched up Link, keeping him in a vice grip that hindered him from moving even a centimeter. His arm twitched uselessly in an effort to draw up his sword.

Volvagia did not make a move to eat Link as he did the Goron, nor did he show any sign that he was about to throw him clear of the summit. Instead, he slithered into the crater of the volcano. He would sink deep into the volcano, and the heat would harm neither of them (because the Goron Tunic protected Link from extreme heat). So, once he reached the lava, he would drop Link down and forget him like a bad dream. "Midna!" screamed Glenna as she knelt over the edge of the crater, allowing the heat and ash to hit her hard in the face.

The twili resurfaced into the light world, floating within the crater. She glanced up at Glenna lazily. "You called?"

"Stop that dragon from burning Link alive." Glenna had meant for the sentence to sound like a request, but it snapped out of her mouth like an order.

Midna raised an eyebrow. "Listen now, Glenna, and listen well. I head this journey, omnipresent or not. So I don't take orders from you -- not really. You take orders from me."

"Seeing as this dragon doesn't involve your journey in any way, shape, or form, then I don't think you can order around me, either. But I didn't meant to snap at you like that, but you need to understand that if that thing throws Link into the lava, then your journey is over. Your race will wither and die."

A smirk appeared on Midna's lips. "I have another wolf, so that's not happening."

"Midna," began Glenna, a snarl on her lips.

"Oh, of course I'll help him, Blondie. Don't get yourself excited," remarked Midna before turning down toward the dragon and Link, who were getting to be too close to the bottom of the volcano for her comfort. "Alrighty, uppsie-daisy!" Midna's hair transformed into a hand as an orange netting-like object covered Volvagia and, as a result, Link. She lifted her single hand as well as her real hands, and Volvagia and Link went soaring out of the volcano.

Volvagia's grip on Link loosened, not enough for him to free himself, but enough for him to free his arm. "Catch!" he called to Glenna, who looked up in enough time to catch his sword. She felt a breeze behind her as Midna jumped into her shadow, murmuring something about her, "lack of gratitude."

The dragon and Link soared over the side of the mountain before Volvagia attempted to regain enough control over his body to adjust his fall. Volvagia's strength gave out, and he and Link collapsed in the hot springs, sending the few Gorons there running into one of the halls leading to the elevator. The warm water jumped up at the sudden, heavy force and extinguished Volvagia's flaming mane. Glenna, at the top of the summit, cursed as she began stumbling down to join them. She jumped the gate separating her from the actual mountain and its base. And, still, she was far away from the spring. "Fear not, I can help you," a deep, male voice informed her from where she stood.

Glenna stopped for only a moment, and a mighty force lifted her into the air and into the spring. Link had already slid himself out of Volvagia's grip, and his arms were bleeding where Volvagia's nails had dug into him. "Glenna...!" began Link, only to see her falling through the air in a downward stab. The sword successfully pierced Volvagia's good eye, and he roared in pain. She jumped off of the sword in order to allow Link to wield it.

Link removed the sword with a skin-tingling squelching sound. For the first time in a while, Glenna unsheathed the kokiri sword and proceeded to stab Volvagia in the neck. Link did the same beside her, only piercing the dragon with much more success than her. Flecks of blood flew from the neck and hit their faces. With each consecutive hit, Volvagia's roars became more muffled and weak until Link finished the job by slitting the dragon's throat.

The two of them leaned back on their heels, wiping Volvagia's blood off of their foreheads as said dragon's body decayed and dissolved before their very eyes. Gor Coron stood atop the part of the mountain closest to the spring, shock clearly etched on his face. "I... I can't believe it. The two of you actually defeated Volvagia without the aid of the ancient Megaton Hammer. This is... unheard of! You two are honorary members of our tribe from this point on. Your strength shall always be acknowledged by the Gorons."

**XxX**

With the aid of Midna, Link and Glenna were instantly teleported to Eldin's Spring via twilight fragments. "I'm so glad that's over with," sighed Glenna with content as she collapsed in the spring in hopes of restoring her energy. "Just one more section of twilight to go, and we never have to deal with this stuff again -- sorry Midna -- with the exception of Zant. Who knows, maybe the Princess will come up behind him and slit his throat. We can only dream."

"Dreaming about slitting someone's throat?!" an alarmed voice demanded from behind Link and Glenna. Link turned to find Colin standing behind them, staring at Glenna with alarm. "Why would you dream about something like that?"

"Because it's, uh, not such a bad thing when it's the enemy?" murmured Glenna, adding in a whisper, "Help me out, Link."

Link shook his head and bent down so that he was at Colin's level with his hand resting on the boy's shoulder. "Don't pay any attention to her; she's delirious. How are you doing, Colin?"

Colin smiled, the worried creases in his face disappearing. "I'm so much better now, Link. I know that things could have turned really bad, but I'm glad I did it. Even if it didn't do anything for Glenna, I'm happy that I could try to help. It made me understand what my dad meant when he said I should be more like you. And sometimes trying to do something -- even if you can't do it -- is better than not doing anything at all."

Glenna's cheeks flushed red as she remembered a few of the things she had said before fighting Volvagia. "You're absolutely right, Colin," she agreed before standing and embracing him in a hug. "And I think it's absolutely chivalrous that you tried to save me."

"But, hey... you two are covered in blood. Are you okay?"

"Depends on your definition," replied Glenna to herself as she stood up.

"You two have been gone for quite some time. I was starting to get deeply concerned," Renado's deep voice informed Glenna and Link as he exited the Sanctuary with the other children at his feet. He and the other children also stared in surprise at the excess of blood on the fronts of their bodies and wherever else they're actual cuts were. "Did the Gorons trouble you?"

"No, it was the navigating through the mine," answered Link.

"And forget the possessed patriarch. The dragon? That was horrid," groaned Glenna.

The kids' eyes became wide and their jaws dropped. "A dragon?!" They all shouted with excitement.

"It sounds like quite a trip," noted Renado with the hint of a smile.

Link nodded. "We'll be more than happy to tell you if you have us for one more night."

"Really, Link?!" demanded Talo. "That would be so cool. Hey, do we get to hear the story, too?"

Before Link could respond, Glenna nodded. "I'll tell you guys the story later, I promise. In the meantime, you all go play."

"Where are you going?" inquired Malo.

"To get all of this blood off of me," answered Glenna. "Real PG-13 stuff, so you all go on and play. I'll tell you the story tonight, how's that?"

The kids begrudgingly agreed. "Shall we speak in the Sanctuary?" suggested Renado without awaiting an answer before striding toward the house. "She is quite good with children. At the very least, fond of them." At the door, they heard Luda approach Glenna and offer her services in First Aid, which Glenna gratefully agreed to.

Once inside, Renado said, "Link, tell me about your journey into the Mines. And this... dragon that Glenna mentioned."

Running a hand through his hair, Link sat himself on one of the stairs. "The dragon was sort of a surprise, and so were the Mines. I've never really touched a bow before, so I'm not sure I could have navigated through that place that easily by myself."

_'And what am I, chopped liver?' _demanded an annoyed voice.

**XxxxxX**

When suppertime rolled around, Zelda once again handed her food over to her rookie guard. Her stomach argued against the action, but her brain had no problem with it. Again, the guard eyed her skeptically. "You can take it," she reassured him, dangling the plate just above his head. When he reached out to grab it, Zelda yanked it back up. "But, on one condition. You must help me with something. Alright?"

The guard stared at her for just a moment before nodding eagerly. Then, Zelda handed him the plate, and he began to eat the food with the appetite of a starved Wolfos once more.

**XxxxxX**

Later that night, after her wounds were bandaged by Luda, Glenna relocated to a bar stool in the main room of the inn. All of the children sat themselves in the seats and tables before her."The dragon disappeared, and we came back here," finished Glenna with a smile. "So! Any questions?"

"Was that a ghost that laughed at you and helped you into the room with that big Goron?" wondered Beth who, Link noted with surprise, was sitting beside Colin.

Glenna shrugged a little. "I would have to say yes, but... it all depends on whether you all believe in ghosts."

"Sure," remarked Luda. "If a person who has died still has unfinished business in the world, then they'll return as a ghost. Either because they can't find the light or because they don't want to find it. Like the spirits that haunt the cemetery here."

"Unfinished business, huh?" replied Glenna softly. "Then, I guess that's just more of a reason to tie up loose ends in life, huh? Not that you kids have to worry about that sort of thing." She leapt off the stool and stretched her arms over her head. "Alright, you kids get going. I'm going to take a really long nap."

Talo's hand shot into the air, and he wiggled around in the chair like he was about to have a very large accident. With eyebrows raised, Glenna nodded in his direction. "Was he the one that helped you into the spring, too?"

A grin appeared on Glenna's face. "I love how you automatically assume it was a male, but... I agree with you on the gender. And I would have to say yes. I mean, it's not like I just up and sprouted wings, right?"

"I dunno, Glenna," replied Talo seriously. "You sure have looks like one."

Glenna's grin disappeared as she stared at Talo with the most dumbfounded expression she ever had in her life. "Wai... What?"

Link lightly tapped the back of Talo's head as he entered the inn and stood behind him. "Alright, get lost before Glenna remembers how to speak normally. I'm pretty sure it's time for bed, so go upstairs." The chairs screeched against the wooden floor as the kids made to up and leave. Link ruffled Colin's hair as he led the rest of the kids upstairs. "You made him pretty popular with the others, you know."

"Yep, by putting him in harm's way, I got his friends to like him," said Glenna, "I feel so proud."

Link patted her on the back. "That's over and done with, Glenn. If you were to die tomorrow--"

"Always a possibility," Glenna and Midna remarked. No one jumped at Midna's sudden intrusion because they were so adjusted to it.

"--Then, you'd come back as a ghost because you won't let stuff go. It's not going to help us."

Glenna nodded. "You're right, I know you're right. And I think that letting the kids know that I repeatedly saved your butt on Death Mountain has helped me achieve that closure."

"That makes no sense," noted Link.

She smiled in response. "I know. It just makes me feel better."

"Hey, what _exactly _did you tell them?"

"I'm really tired Link, so I ought to get myself to bed. You should consider it, too," she added before heading upstairs. "'Night."

"We're getting up bright and early to head to Lanayru!" Midna informed Glenna. "So you'd better be ready, Blondie!"

Glenna waved her off at the top of the staircase. "Yeah, yeah," was all she said before disappearing from view.

Link rolled his neck forward and his shoulders backward. "Hard day?" asked Midna with her usual smugness as she floated onto the bar's counter.

He returned the smile. "Wouldn't you know? How long were you planning to wait before throwing Volvagia and I out of the volcano?"

Midna batted her eyes. "Oh, come on, Link. Do you really think I'd leave you to die? When have I done it before?"

"How about on the other side of the town's road, up on one of the cliffs in a house that was about to explode?" suggested Link just as innocently.

"Eee hee hee! You play the game well, Link. Maybe there's hope for you after all. Don't worry. I promise to take good care of you in the twilight tomorrow. Better go rest up!" she remarked before diving into his shadow, leaving Link alone in the main room.

**XxX**

Bright and early was just what Link got the next morning. He was surprised to find Glenna standing over him, fully dressed in her white dress the next morning. Or, at least, what he assumed was early, early morning. The sun had yet to even rise. Her bandages had been disposed of, except for one that covered her nose. That, he knew, was where Volvagia's mane of fire had hit her face while she had been in her wolf form. "Is it... is it morning?" Link's groggy voice asked.

Glenna inclined her head. "Sure," she answered. "Really, really early. I couldn't sleep, really. I was thinking about Lanayru all night." It was obvious, by her tone, that she had been thinking about her home province since the very beginning of the journey. Link had never had to go through that, since Ordona had never truly been under the twilight influence.

But, she knew, that the fate of the children had been plaguing him. And Ilia's whereabouts had been unknown for quite some time. "I feel badly for you," she confessed suddenly. Link stared at her.

"You do? Why?"

"Because everything you love has been scattered. Your home is still in Ordona, but the children that you love aren't. Here, the kids are here, but you're not home. And your best friend isn't in either place... When we restore Lanayru, I'll have everything I want in the same place, albeit Zelda may be a bit hard to get to," remarked Glenna.

Link nodded. "Yeah, but will you really have everything you want? I'm really starting to get to know you, Glenna, and I know that there's one thing that you're not okay with."

"You would be bitter too if you were in my situation. But I don't want to be in that stupid little village. If I did want to live in a village, though, I would move to Ordon. I love how close-knit your village is. It's so wonderful. My old one? Not so much. But, we digress. Since we're both awake enough to hold a conversation, we're awake enough to go to Lanayru."

Glenna stood and started for the door. "I'll be waiting for you downstairs." And she left.

**XxxxxX**

"The age of man is over as you foolish humans know it. This is my world now. I will take back what was wrongfully taken away from my ancestors, Princess. And, honestly, you would be hurting your people less if you just truly gave in to defeat, Zelda," mused Zant, who was standing in the center of Zelda's "room." "Resisting is only going to hurt you."

Zelda looked up at Zant, her hood obscuring the majority of her features once more. "Have you ever heard, Zant, of the story of the Hero of Winds?" Zant's eyebrows drew together, which did not surprise Zelda. How could he have heard a hylian folk tale in the Twilight Realm? "After the Hero of Time defeated the beast, he disappeared, never to allegedly be seen by Hyrule again. And, afterwards, it is said that the evil man rose to power once again. And all of the people awaited for him to return, but he never did. They never left hope. They prayed to the gods, and the gods listened. They flooded Hyrule, sealing away the evil man.

"And there was one island in the whole great sea that continued to have boys between the ages of ten and twelve dress up as the hero to show that their beliefs in him had not waned. When the evil man rose up to power again, a boy from this island bravely left his home -- the only place he knew -- in order to save not just his home, but all of the Sea. And the only reason that he succeeded was because of other's faith in him and the Hero of Time.

"So, regardless of my people's faith in me, I know that they believe in two things: their gods and the Hero of Time. And, as long as those beliefs remain, you will never have truly conquered Hyrule, nor will you have injured their spirits -- or mine."

Zant narrowed his eyes at the princess. "Spout your foolish fairy tales at me, Princess; I do not care. For Hyrule -- at least this province -- is mine."

"The Hyrulean people do not even know who you are, Zant. They do not know the name of the person who forced Princess Zelda to surrender. And, if you want them all to revel at how you are the 'best villain ever', then you shall be disappointed. There is only one man that they believe is capable of conquering Hyrule, and he has never been permanent, either," remarked Zelda cooly. "Lock me in this tower 'til my death, if you choose. But, so long as there are small throngs of groups rising to try and rescue Hyrule, then you will know that you have failed as a villain. As long as they do not know your name, and do not give up their beliefs in the goddesses, then you will have lost."

Zelda didn't know how he did it, but Zant closed the space between the two of him. He greatly assaulted her personal space and lifted his hand. With all of his might, he delivered a blow to the side of her face, which easily knocked her onto her pillow. "You have a sharp tongue, Zelda. That will get you in trouble one day." Zant turned on his heel and disappeared from the room without another word.

The Princess pressed her hand to the side of her cheek for a moment before forgetting it in favor of lifting her pillow. Below the pillow was a brown, leather bound book with golden symbols on the cover. The book as a whole was written in complete Hylian. And, Zelda was pleased to note, it had not taken long for her to befriend the rookie guard into getting it for her.

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**A/n: Long chapter. I was going to include the twilight stuff in this one, but I didn't really want to push it. I hope it was a decent chapter. There is an actual reason for me reviving Saria and Darunia into the story aside from my childhood memories. xD Reviews are loved, btw!**


	15. This is Home

**Chapter Fifteen**

**A/n: After today, my updates are going to slow a whole lot, but don't lose faith! It's just that I have finals and I really don't want to retake Economics second semester... So if I only update once a week or so, don't stop reading because I WILL update. Promise. Thanks for your reviews DarkFlame Alchemist and cwizumi for your reviews! They made me so pleased. :)**

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"I'm just... Wow. It's amazing that you kids are actually up," a surprised, tired voice floated from the main floor up to the top of the stairs on the second floor. "What's the occasion?"

"You and Link are leaving!" replied another voice, one of an excited and dramatic boy. "And we knew you were leaving really early to avoid saying goodbye."

A quiet laugh. "Is that what you think the point of this is? Man, kid, are you wrong. We just wanted to get going as soon as possible so that we could get more done in a day's time. So, don't flatter yourself, Talo. This has nothing to do with you." The children laughed in response while Talo muttered a few things under his breath.

The stairs squeaked and everyone's eyes became fixated on Link. "Morning? Wow, everyone's here, huh?"

Beth clutched her hands together tightly and jumped up and down with more enthusiasm than Glenna thought anyone had a right to before the sun rose. "Well, of course, Link! We've missed you too much. For you to leave again would just... uh..."

"Suck? A lot?" suggested Glenna, earning herself Link's elbow in her ribcage. "What? What'd I say?"

"See? Please don't go!" pleaded Talo and Beth.

Malo nodded. "You two definitely provide us with a lot of amusement."

Colin pursed his lips and shook his head. "Well, Link and Glenna aren't here to keep us entertained all day. They have better things to do. Good luck, you guys."

"I'm glad to see that someone in this group is mature. With the exception of Luda, of course," added Glenna to the dark-haired girl, who turned with a smile.

Luda approached Glenna and Link with several jars. "I managed to find some Chu jelly in the back of the cupboard in the kitchen. I'm not sure how long it was there, but I'm sure it's still good."

Glenna took the jars and shoved them into her bag. "Thank you, Luda. It's much appreciated. And unless something is moldy, crawly, or obviously disgusting, then I think it's still good. Well, I guess you can't count the crawly thing with Chu jelly, though..."

"Thank you," repeated Link to stop Glenna's rambling. "And we should probably get going." He paused to envelop the children -- excluding Luda -- in a group hug. "Be good. I mean it. Talo, you do know better than to wander off now, right?"

Talo nodded his head viciously. "I've definitely learned my lesson, Link!" He then raced forward, along with Colin, to hug Glenna. "I'll miss all of your stories, Glenna. Have enough fun for the two of us -- and don't let Link ruin it!"

Glenna laughed and agreed before ruffling Colin's hair fondly. "Can I give you some advice, Col?" The boy's eyes widened as he nodded his head. She bent down her head, and whispered, "You should be very careful because, as far as I can tell, there are two girls that like you a whole lot. Who knows, maybe you can straighten out Beth. If not, Luda's a nice girl." She kissed his cheek and straightened up.

A blush appeared on Colin's cheeks. "But..."

"Take care, guys!" called Glenna, winking at Colin as she and Link started out the door. The sun was almost rising, a dark purple and light pink beginning to be visible in the sky. As they descended the Inn's ramp, the door to the Sanctuary flew open and Renado stepped outside.

Link's eyebrows knitted together although he did wave at the shaman. "Good morning, Renado! We were just on our way out."

"Not quite yet, I would have to request," answered Renado as he strode away from his door. He stopped halfway to them and glanced backwards.

"Is everything alright?" asked Glenna nervously.

Renado nodded. "Quite." Then, he turned back toward the building. "Come, now. Have strength and be brave. Nothing bad will happen to you." When Link and Glenna continued to fix him with perplexed expressions, he remarked, "A young woman came here in the middle of the night last night."

"How young? Is she alright?" inquired Link, immediately concerned.

"In her twenties, I would say. Early twenties. And if she would only come out, I could explain..." The door to the Sanctuary squeaked and slammed shut as it closed. A beautiful, fairly tall, young woman had stepped out of the building. She had long, wavy, dark brown -- almost black -- hair and, poking out of it, was a pair of pointed ears. She wore a long royal blue dress made of what looked like stiff material. A brown belt tightened it around the waist, and it could zip down to reveal a black shirt that she was wearing beneath the dress. Her eyes were kind and understanding, deep pools of blue. Link was very familiar with those eyes, at times, but most of the time those eyes were proud and held an edge to them.

And the only reason he could possibly be familiar with those eyes was because... "Are you Glenna's sister?" asked Link with some hesitance. Glenna's head snapped in his direction, audibly. She rubbed her neck before turning back to the dark-haired beauty.

"Yeah, Glenna's sister, what are you doing here?" demanded Glenna. "Avon, is there something you need?" Her voice was harsh and edgy; Link could feel the suffocating tension despite the fact that they were outside.

Avon's eyes widened and filled with tears. "My little sister... It's been so long."

"Yeah, it has. Guess what hasn't changed?" replied Glenna, her eyes burning with anger.

Realization dawned upon Link's face; Glenna was about to transform and blow her cover in front of Renado. "Glenna, Glenna. Don't. Think about it."

"I already know, Link," murmured Renado a half a second before Glenna's body shifted its shape into that of a snarling wolf. Glenna charged at Avon who flinched a little at the sight of her sister.

"Glenna, what Mom and Dad did was wrong. But, please, don't hurt me," pleaded Avon as she fell to her knees. Glenna stood before her sister, staring down her nose at her for an explanation of how she got to Kakariko and why she was there. "I was so ashamed of them once I was older and began to talk to our neighbors that I left when I was sixteen, but I had no clue what happened to you by then. I guessed that you were long dead because, as Dad had pointed out, you had no idea how to survive in the real world.

"But then I heard about a mysterious, nameless blonde girl that worked for the Princess. No one ever said your name, but I had a hunch. The last time I was in Castle Town, I heard that this girl had left for the Ordona province on the Princess' orders to speak to the mayor. And I returned to my village, but I continued to hear gossip from the villagers that this girl next stop would, likely, be at Kakariko. That was recent. So I travelled her to see if that girl was you. It was a lucky shot, but I was so hopeful that it would be you. You didn't deserve what you got, Glenna," insisted Avon with her glassy, china-blue eyes.

Glenna stood there, staring at her sister for a moment. Then, her form reverted into a human. "Go, Link."

"What?" he replied, not believing what he was seeing.

"Go on, and I'll meet you there," she ordered. "Don't worry. Just wait inside of the wall for me, if you can." Link looked from Glenna to Avon, just to make sure that the former wasn't planning on killing her sister, then he nodded and called for Epona. The chestnut mare galloped toward them, and he climbed up.

_'Hurry it up, Blondie, or we'll leave you behind!' _laughed Midna in Glenna's mind.

_'Not like I haven't had to make it through twilight by myself before. Although it'll be harder this time,' _added Glenna in afterthought. "What are you waiting for? The sun to set? Go east and wait inside the wall," she told him. "And, Link? Once you pass over the Bridge of Eldin, don't stop moving." Link's eyebrows furrowed together, but he nodded and started off on Epona.

Glenna turned back toward her older sister. "You mentioned a village. What village?"

"A... a small settlement established by other runaways. The diversity is amazing," stated Avon as her nervousness left her to be replaced by excitement. "There is a Goron, but he is not a runaway. He insisted to his tribe that he try to go to Hyrule Castle to tell Princess Zelda what had befallen the Gorons. None of the Gorons wanted him to, but he went anyway. He was attacked by shadow beasts and was badly injured... So we took him into the village, and he has been staying there ever since. And there are also a couple of red-eyed women there, too. They are quite mysterious and do not say much... There are also many hylians. No Zoras. There is, however, a tan-skinned woman that the rest of us have guessed to be a Gerudo."

"That is quite the diversity," agreed Glenna. "And you travelled from wherever this little village is to here without a weapon? Isn't that a tad dangerous?"

Avon shrugged. "I was not bothered by any monsters."

"Well, I doubt you'll be that lucky this time around," replied Glenna before whistling. Avianna joined them, and Glenna mounted the white horse. "Try not to get killed on your way ba--" She broke off her sentence at the hurt expression in Avon's eyes. Glenna heaved a sigh. "Okay. I have things that I have to do. Stay in Kakariko, where you'll be safe. Maybe someone will be kind enough to teach you the basics of protecting yourself. I'll be back much later."

Avon frowned. She had come a long way, but she understood that Glenna had things to get done. She also recognized that Glenna wasn't the same giggling six-year-old that she had dragged around on her blanket. And her sister had every right not to trust her, so she nodded. "I'll be waiting."

Glenna nodded and with a great neigh, she and Avianna took off into the morning light. Renado placed a hand on Avon's shoulder. "Fear not. I believe that this is Glenna's way of... not pushing you away. It's a good thing. In the meantime, you are more than welcome to stay here."

**XxX**

"We'll just have to leave those to Blondie," remarked Midna as they passed over Eldin's bridge after several Shadow Beasts fell from a portal. Link shook his head and jumped off Epona with his sword drawn. "Oh, yeah. That should be effective. Well, this should be fun to watch."

Link hurled his sword at the Shadow Beast further away from the other two. Then, he quickly dodged their outstretched hands as he retrieved his sword from the unconscious one. He pulled the sword behind him in a prepared spin attack. When the Shadow Beasts appeared close to him, Link released the sword and fell them with a spin attack. The beasts disappeared into twilight particles, and the portal became a friendlier blue color. However, at the same time, the middle of the bridge also disappeared into the portal. Link's mouth hung open. "What the hell?"

"Huh. Well I did tell Blondie that if she snoozed, she would lose... Looks like those guys agreed with me. Eee hee hee!" stated Midna with a grin.

"Eee hee hee yourself, Midna!" shouted Glenna from beneath the arch over the other end of the bridge. "Oh, son of a b-... How am I supposed to get across?"

Midna smiled. "Jump?"

"Jump," repeated Glenna and Link.

The imp nodded. "Sure. There's no other way into Lanayru right now. If you don't want to chance it, you can just sit and wait until I and dog-boy clear the Twilight."

"No way in hell," replied Glenna before having Avianna back up slowly. "Alright, girl. We're going to take a running leap. Run as fast as you can," she advised the horse before patting her on the neck. "Ya!" Avianna ran as fast as was possible -- assisted by Glenna kicking her sides a little -- and jumped over the gap of the bridge.

The horse neighed in vehement response, just barely clearing the hole as they landed on the other side. "I never want to do that again -- no matter how fun that may or may not have been. Now, can we get into the twilight already?"

**XxxxxX**

With the sheer number of spells in the book, Zelda had no doubt that she could go beyond escaping the castle by simply destroying Zant in numerous ways with different spells, ranging from slightly violent to extremely gruesome. However, she had her doubts that the spells would work on Zant; he probably would have some sort of protection from the twilight. So, she settled on a spell that she had read about in her ancestor's old diary.

The spell was not difficult, but it would take much energy out of Zelda. She would have to wait a few days, at least, to store up the magical energy needed. And she would also need to have a location in mind. A safe location. The spell would keep her out of commission for a while, so she knew that she would have to bring herself to a secluded area that Zant did not know of. But Zelda was not sure that a location like that would exist. Which is why she would have to settle for a disguise instead. But what sort of disguise?

**XxxxxX**

Link immediately understood Glenna's instructions for him to move as fast as he could through the area past the bridge. Dozens of Bulbins had to be stationed there, shooting at them from every which angle with their fire arrows. "What are they all doing out here?"

Glenna shrugged. "Protecting something, I would have to guess. What? I have no clue." As they continued forward, the horse's ears seemed to sink closer to their heads, and the light began to disappear. Once they were within a couple feet of the Twilight wall, both horse's reared, neighed, and turned around. "Guess that's the end of that," mumbled Glenna before jumping off Avianna. She patted the mare on the neck, hating to leave her in that awful place. "Why don't you and Epona return to Kakariko? It's better than staying here with all these monsters."

They turned toward the wall once more when the horses ran off. Darkness covered their forms completely as they approached Lanayru's border. Midna popped out of Link's shadow and smiled at the darkness. "Ah, back again... Well, are you two ready, or what? It's time to snuff out the last bit of home in this alien place..."

"What do you have to complain about? You're almost done here." Glenna reminded the twili, who shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Without further ado..." Midna jumped through the wall as if it wasn't even there, and a giant hand reached through to pull Link and Glenna inside.

The familiar hue of a malachite **(A/n: a type of precious green gem) **ground and twilit-colored sky greeted the trio as Link and Glenna's bodies transformed into those of the blue-eyed beasts. Glenna didn't mind, but feeling her body forced to transform always hurt, and reminded her of when the spell had first been cast upon her. "Well?" said Midna as she dropped onto Glenna's back, earning a growl from the wolf. "Are you two just going to sit here and stare all day, or are we going to actually get stuff done?"

Link and Glenna started off immediately, walking on the path without much of a view of Hyrule Castle. As the cliffs around them moved off to the sides and the path emptied out into the field, they caught a nice, close glimpse of the castle. Glenna stared at it for a minute before realizing that Link was still moving. A purse, oddly enough, was laying in the middle of the field. _'I almost prefer Lanayru at twilight,' _admitted Glenna.

Midna giggled. "After a while, everyone craves a difference... so I'm not surprised to hear you say that." Glenna was shocked to hear the twili's response; she had expected some smug response among the lines of, '"Eee hee hee! Told you so!"

Link ignored the two of them and sniffed at the ratty brown purse. Glenna joined him and also sniffed at the scent. It was familiar, the scent of lilies and nature. _'Ilia?' _guessed Glenna, able to read Link's emotions, even as a wolf. _'Her trail looks pretty long. I bet it'll lead to Castle Town.' _

"Aw, reunited at last," cooed Midna. "But how long ago was she captured? Who knows how long that thing's been here. The scent might be old," she pointed out. "And wouldn't that be a shame?" She earned herself a growl from Link.

Glenna had to agree with the twili. The path was long, but thin, and looked like it was starting to wane. But, if Ilia was in Castle Town, she was probably safe. She chose to exclude this bit of information as Link began to follow the trail.

**XxX**

Just outside of Castle Town, they were forced to destroy three Twilight BEasts, but it did provide them with a portal. The scent did, as Glenna thought, lead them to Castle Town. "I heard," they heard a woman remark near the stables at the entrance of the town, "A Zora boy collapsed here, and a young girl brought him to Telma's bar."

"Telma" was Glenna's buzzword while "young girl" was Link's. _'My sword...' _trailed off Glenna. _'Let's go.' _Link and Midna followed her as she moved east and passed near a large fountain in the center of the heart of the town.

"This water shortage sucks," complained a teenage boy sitting on the rim of the fountain. "No baths allowed."

"You're telling me," agreed a boy sitting near the first one. He clenched his nose with his thumb and index finger. "You smell so bad." The first boy retaliated by pushing the other one into the fountain.

A guard approached them, his spear pointed directly in their faces. "Stop fooling around on the fountain or I'll arrest you."

"Are you going to throw us in the dungeons?" wondered the first boy. "Because I know that none of you incompetent morons have been able to get into the Castle."

The guard scrunched his nose. "Just watch it." Glenna felt like she was watching a play of some sort. The action was happening in front of her, but no one noticed that she was there. The crowd continued to move around the three of them, and it made her feel strangely alone although Castle Town was always full of people pushing past you like you weren't there.

_'It's amazing. They're under this spell, yet they're _still _acting like nothing's changed,' _remarked Glenna. Castle Town residents never did seem to suffer from any of Hyrule's ailments outside of their safe walls. The water shortage did intrigue her, though.

Link stared longingly at where the two paths of Ilia's scent split off, but he trusted Glenna was going the right way and followed her. 'What_ about the water shortage? Where does Castle Town get their water from?' _He wondered. She wasn't sure if it was simple chit-chat to ease his nerves or serious concern.

_'Zora's River. The Zora are secluded -- they live in Zora's domain at the very top of Lanayru, but... they would never sabotage the health of the rest of Hyrule. Never. They don't hate the Hylians,' _she replied. _'I'm worried.' _They continued down the south road, passing numerous other roads on their way. Glenna turned down the southeast-most path, jumped down the stairs, and nosed her way into the only building in the back alley. Once inside, Glenna sat at Telma's heels with her tail wagging ferociously.

"They can't see Link. Why should you be any different?" remarked Midna as Link sat beside Ilia, who was worrying over a Zora child that way laying on the table before them.

"Help him! Please!" pleaded Ilia.

"I've done all I can sweetie; I'm not doctor. But I wonder if his... illness has to do with Lake Hylia and the water shortage," admitted Telma.

Midna and Link immediately turned toward Glenna. "I'll take us there... but I need something first." Glenna took off and pushed open the door to the house wing of the bar. She opened the door to her bedroom with a bit of shoving into it. The room was not exactly large, nor was it small. Red velvet curtains that usually covered the window were wide open. The window had a decent view of the castle. Glenna started for the open closet, which was a mess of clothes among other things. She dug her nose into it and pulled out with her a sapphire-encrusted sheath with sword inside. Midna snapped and the sword became part of Glenna's person.

_'Thanks,' _she said to Midna. _'Alright. Let's go.'_

**XxX**

Glenna led them back out of Castle Town -- which was a little too much for Link to navigate through although he had been in it several times -- and led them out of the field via a new path. The path was lined with many monsters, obviously trying to prevent residents from visiting Lake Hylia. Knowing that they were in a bit of a need of rupees, Glenna paused to dig into a hole. One of the monsters they had evaded came up behind her with its weapon raised. She yelped, and they continued without stopping. **(A/n: I hate it when that happens. Always startles me. xD')**

When they reached a great bridge, she stepped near the fence preventing residents from falling off the side and into the lake. "What... What happened?" demanded Glenna, sounding truly disturbed. "My favorite place to hide, Zelda called this place... And it's this? A puddle?"

"I guess we'd better check it out," sighed Midna as Link stepped onto the bridge.

"Wait! Something's not right!" insisted Glenna although she ran after them. Some type of liquid soaked into Link and Glenna's paws as they walked on the bridge. The liquid registered in Glenna's mind, as well as Link's. He surged forward to get to the other side... Just as an archer beast shot one arrow at him to slow him down. Then, it ignited the gasoline on both sides of the bridge and, with a grin and a wave, the monster walked away.

The flame started at Link's paw, giving him and Glenna less time before getting burn alive. "Don't stand there like idiots! Jump!" ordered Midna.

_'What?!' _ responded Glenna and Link.

"Do it!" shouted Midna. Glenna climbed on the side of the bridge and, with a quick prayer to Din, Farore, and Nayru, she jumped off the edge. Link slipped as he tried to climb. "Hurry up! Hurry up!" Link was having a hard time figuring out why Midna did not simply fly off of his back and leave him, like she had in Kakariko. Instead, she stayed put. Link forced himself up and leapt off the edge, howling as he did so.

When the height of the jump did not kill her, and Glenna realized that the lake was still plenty deep, she quickly swam to the surface, just to be splashed in the face as Link landed. "This is not Lake Hylia. This is Puddle Hylia," she complained. The twilight made her feel blinded, for everything looked different. She wondered when the glowing colors would stop making her feel blind.

"So, Zora's river empties out there?" wondered Midna, pointing at a cave where water should have emptied out. Glenna nodded. "And what's up with these Zoras?"

Glenna started for the shore closest to the waterfall. _'Let's see if they say,' _she suggested, pointing with her nose at a few spirits staring at the cave. When they approached the spirits, the Zoras jumped.

"Another beast!" spat one of them. "If it was not made of whatever strange magic this is, then I would..." It shook its spear at the Shadow Kargaroc.

Midna grinned. "Or, instead of hunting down answers, we can investigate the Zora's Domain ourselves. But, first, we should see the light spirit -- just in case. Where is it?"

_'There,' _answered Glenna. Lanayru's spring was inside of a large shrine with two giant snake statues jutting out on the stairs. Midna hopped onto the Shadow Kargaroc, hitting it upside the head a few times.

"Huh. I don't think we're all going to be able to travel up to Zora's Domain... but we'll figure out the plan in a second," decided the imp as the Kargaroc grabbed Link and Glenna with each foot. It stopped outside the shrine, where it dropped them off. "Now, you stay out here like a good boy, or else, when I come back, I'll show you the true meaning of twilight magic." The Kargaroc perched itself atop one of the snakes and remained completely still. "Good boy!" cheered Midna before they entered the shrine.

Lanayru's shrine was nothing new to Glenna; she had visited it numerous times during her lifetime. The spring was in the center of the shrine while there were numerous grassy cliffs inside. On the other side of the room, at a higher point, was a door that Glenna had always wondered about. "I did not think you two would be here any time soon... but I am pleased to see you. Please, take my Vessel of Light and rid this place of the twilight..."

"Alright, I see Zora's domain on the map," murmured Midna, grasping the paper in her hands and squinting at it. "Glenna, I'll leave you to take care of Castle Town and whatever place that is with the other tears around there. Link and I will get the ones up the river and in this area."

_'How am I getting there?' _wondered Glenna.

"Like this," answered Midna. She snapped, and Glenna's body disappeared into twilight particles. "Don't look so worried. I just sent her to the Castle Town portal. Now, you!" she called to the Kargaroc, who promptly flew down to them, "let's go. Up Zora's River!"

**XxX**

Glenna had already seen the one insect in Castle Town. It was just inside of it, hiding in one of the goat's stalls. She entered the stall by digging beneath it and promptly killed the bug. The tear did not soak into her fur but, as it had in the other areas of twilight, distantly flew across the sky, where it would join Midna and Link. She closed her eyes and saw the location on the map, so she exited Castle Town and headed down the path that they had taken from Eldin. She passed into the field with one of the rivers leading from Upper Zora's river. Instead of passing over the small bridge as she had with Link and Midna, she headed left, up a mountain overpass.

_'I do, I do wonder where this leads,' _she remarked to herself as she evaded the Kargarocs and other monsters while she entered the cave in the overpass. _'Funny. It almost seems familiar... Ah. Talking to yourself. One of the first signs of insanity.' _ She shook it off and ceased speaking to herself as she reached a new, fat path. The cliffs had small slopes up the sides which was where the insects seemed to be. She climbed up the slopes and, on the new higher path, headed back in the direction of the Castle. _'Now I really wonder where this leads.' _Glenna closed her eyes and saw a mess of paths on her way to reach the large number of insects that she was in charge of.

**XxX**

Quite a few insects were awaiting Midna and Link within the cave leading to Upper Zora's river. The Kargaroc bumped into them with its head, and they immediately died. "That was simple," remarked Midna as the Kargaroc flew out of the cave via some source of light. The Kargaroc dropped them where the riverbed should have been before flying off. "Hey, thanks! Alright, Link... there's one insect right below you."

Link jumped at the sudden news, but he realized that he could not see an insect... Until he saw a shadow moving beneath the icy riverbed... Icy riverbed? That didn't sound right, even in his head. Nonetheless, Link dug his sharp nails through the ice, liberating the insect. He charged at it and threw it into a wall. "Fourth down. Four more to go. But, man... it's so cold. What kind of place is this?" demanded Midna, shivering a little. "Let's keep going." Link nodded and started straight, in the direction of Zora's Domain.

Zora's Domain did not look like the home that most Zoras would prefer. It was undoubtedly beautiful -- especially in the twilight -- but it was absolutely encased in ice. A spark of pink electricity jumped off one of the walls and charged at Link. The force knocked him on his side and continued forward. Snarling, Link ran after it, only to slip and fall on the ice. "Watch it!" warned Midna. "You have to be careful. Especially up there," she pointed to a tall icy structure that led to the second level of the domain. Link barked a gruff reply before sinking his claws into the insect. The insect exploded and released another tear. Two more were crawling around near the tall, icy structure. When Link surged forward to attack them, Midna stopped him. "Look." And look he did. Two giant icicles fell from the structure, pierced the insects, and two more tears of light floated toward them. "I love letting nature help us out. Well, only a few more here... Let's climb that thing."

Link stood on an icy rock that was jutting out from the ground. Midna jumped higher and caught Link as he jumped toward her. They continued up the icy structure until, halfway up, a pink spark jumped out of the middle and continued upwards. As it moved, icicles began to fall all around. Midna moved, and Link jumped after her. He moved faster and faster to avoid being impaled, until his paws skidded on the ice of one of the smaller platforms of the structure. His nails dug into it to stop himself from skidding off the edge, but they failed to stop him. He tried to hang onto the edge, but it broke beneath the pressure of his nails.

As he fell, Midna flew off of his back, and an orange light surrounded him. Link's body was hurled upwards and to the very top of the domain, where the bug awaited him. He stabbed his nails into it, and they received another tear of light. "Next time, when I say be careful, _be careful_," growled Midna, her chest heaving and her breath a bit ragged. Link knew there was no way that had exhausted her; he had seen her pick up things twenty times her weight without breaking a sweat.

Midna collapsed on his back and said no more, so Link entered the throne room rather than contemplating the imp's strange behavior. This room, too, was covered in ice. And, as Link looked within the ice, his blood froze. Dozens of Zoras were encased in the ice. Whether they were alive or not, Link did not know. As he was distracted, several thuds appeared around him. One of the Shadow Beasts seized him by the throat and threw him at one of the icy walls. An icicle loosened from the ceiling and pierced into his paw, holding him fast. Midna cursed loudly as the three SHadow BEasts approached him.

Link shut his eyes, but he suddenly felt the presence of the beasts lift. Midna was standing before him, wiping her hands together. "For every time I have to save you with my magic, you have to pay me back in hard labor, or something, I think," she growled as a shadow ball dissipated from her hands and the red portal turned blue. "Now, let's free these guys. With what? I don't know."

He barked a reply: _'The volcanic rock at Death Mountain.'_

Midna was pleasantly surprised. "Good idea. I suggest you close your eyes for this part, though."

Another shadow ball was in her hand, and she was about to direct it at him.

**XxX**

Although Glenna was confused as to where she was and exhausted, she had finally reached the location with the bugs that she had to destroy. She passed under a large wooden archway, signaling that she was entering a village. _'This place has been seeming more and more familiar, and now I understand why... This is... This is...' _

There was a numerous amount of houses, each separated by small fences. They all had their own backyards, no matter how small. Gardens seemed to be covering the area. _'Home. This is where I lived.' _

_

* * *

  
_

**A/n: I don't know when my next update will be, so those two cliffhangers were actually kind of cruel. xD' But I will update as soon as I can, I promise! I won't let school ruin my fun. Plenty of juicy stuff for you to think about. Avon will be returning sooner or later, I think... She may or may not be important. Not quite sure yet. I hope you enjoyed the chapter... I sort of had to rush it because I don't have the computer for long. Please review, and I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	16. The Truth Never Set Me Free

**Chapter Sixteen:**

The Truth Never Set Me Free, So I Did it Myself

**A/N: Phew. It seems like forever since my last update, so I apologize majorly. My grandmother's in the hospital, and I've had finals, so I've been all over the place. But I missed updating, so here I am. :) This chapter took a while, only because I got distracted by reading up on the newest Kingdom Hearts game... Heh. Anyway. Thank you for your review cwizumi. Onto the chapter!**

_'I settle down, a twisted-up frown_

_Disguised as a smile;_

_Well, you would have never known._

_I had it all, but not what I wanted_

_'Cause hope for me was a place uncharted,_

_And overgrown.'_

**-"Careful" by Paramore**

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**

The white wolf padded through the village more like a tourist and less like a woman on a mission. Needless to say, there was not much to observe. With the spell, all of the residents had taken to their homes. A spark of electricity jumped out of a fence and sped across the road, just before Glenna. She ran after it and killed it before it could enter a house. Just five more to go.

_'It's so dead here,' _remarked Glenna, idly sniffing the ground to find more of the insects.

_'You're not focusing,' _a disappointed voice informed her. Glenna's head snapped upward so fast that she could hear it snap. _'I didn't mean to frighten you.'_

_ 'How are you talking to me again, Zelda? Well, wait. Sorry. Are you okay?' _

_ 'I appreciate your concern, and I'm... mostly fine,' _was the reply the Princess settled for. _'I'm trying to meditate, but you're on my radar, so you're somewhat breaking my concentration. Aren't you supposed to be hunting down the bugs with Lanayru's light?'_

Glenna would have pursed her lips had she not been a wolf. _'Yeah, yeah. I'm just doing some sight-seeing,' _she confessed, suddenly embarrassed by what she was doing.

_'Sightseeing? Where are you?' _At Glenna's extended amount of silence, Zelda murmured, _'Ah... I think I understand. It would be better to inspect this place as a human, I think. So just take care of what you need.'_

_ 'Zelda?'_

_ 'Mm?'_

_ 'It's good to hear your voice again. I'm glad you're alright, and I wish there was something I could do to free you like now. And I'm sorry that I'm always so hard on you.'_

Zelda laughed. _'You make it sound like you're trying to confess every one of your crimes before dying.'_

_ 'Being here sort of does feel like dying,' _frowned Glenna. _'I just realized that I haven't repaid you for your kindness. So, yeah... You know, you get back to your meditating. Who knows. Maybe you'll be able to slit Zant's throat from behind or something.'_

Glenna could hear the smile in Zelda's voice when she replied, _'I'm sure he expects it. Find those bugs, Glenna.' _When she felt the connection break, she stared up into the glowing sky... Just in time to see a bug fly in her view. Obviously they were getting tired of not being pursued.

**XxxxxX**

"If I didn't know any better, Link, I would say that you thought I was going to put you out of commission," remarked Midna with a smirk as the large volcanic rock pierced through the thick layer of ice covering the Throne Room. The sound was similar to the clapping of thunder, and the water escaped through the cracks, melting away the rest of the ice and practically exploding all over the room. Midna and Link kept their distance by flattening themselves against the wall in the room.

Link chose not to reply to Midna's remark, and the two of them headed back for Lake Hylia in hopes of meeting Glenna there once more. An apparition made them freeze in their tracks, at the end of the tunnel that led outside. The image was that of a ghostly Zora woman. The ghost was magnificent with long, kelp-like hair that hung down to her shoulders in layers. Her eyes were a bright green chartreuse-color with rhinestone-like eyebrows of the same color. She wore a large, intricate necklace with a series of sapphires that eventually led to the Zora sapphire at the very bottom. Her body looked like she was wearing a long, beautiful dress, but Link realized that the ruffles were actually gills, layers and layers of them. Two long fins were attached at the middle of her biceps. Her body color was, overall, varying shades of pink with some blue.

"Who are you?" demanded Midna rather rudely of the ghost.

The Zora smiled in reply. "I am Rutela. I was Queen of the Zora's until those shadows arrived. In order to show them the power of the new 'king', they executed me to show them where their loyalties should lie. I know who you are," she added to the wolf, "a kind young man who takes on the persona of a beast. I know someone very similar to you, and you know her, too. But that is beside the point. I sent my son, Ralis, to see Princess Zelda or find Glenna. And while I am glad that he was not here to see my fate, I can feel that he is growing weaker... I am losing my son.

"I lost my husband many years ago, and it tore me apart. My son is brave, and he has a good heart. He does not deserve to lose his young life because of the power thirst of a madman," remarked Queen Rutela through gritted teeth. "Please, save my son. I know not where he is, but I trust that you do. And I trust that you will be able to help him."

"I feel bad for you, I do," remarked Midna with a surprising amount of sincerity. "But why should we help you?"

Rutela's smile returned. "I will give you something that will give you the power of Zoras. Just... help Ralis. Please." Her body disappeared, leaving no sign it had been there in the first place.

"I wonder what happened to her body," mused Midna.

_'That's a macabre thing to remark about,' _informed Link. _'Is Glenna done yet?'_

Midna closed her eyes for a moment. "Almost. Just two more to go... Which is weird, because we're supposed to have sixteen tears. This way, there will only be fifteen."

_'Then we're missing one?'_

"Yeah, but there's nothing else on the map..." trailed off Midna as the map hovered before her. "Oh! How strange. There's another one in Lake Hylia, but I swear it wasn't there before. Let's go check it out. The current's so fast in here now, we can just ride the river to the lake."

**XxX**

Glenna climbed up a few boxes that were stacked up on the side of the only house with an insect inside. She dug her nails into the flat roof and, thankfully, fell through a weak spot. The inside of the building was almost immediately recognizable to her. The hallway she had fallen into was small and cramped, even for a wolf. Several rooms branched off of it, and the floor was only somewhat carpeted. For the most part, it was made of dirt and stone. She walked down the hallway and nosed into one of the rooms. A girl -- woman, really -- with medium-length, chestnut brown hair was sitting atop a bed, clutching a small boy in her arms. "It's gone, for now. But for how long?" she whispered, Glenna hoped, to herself as she stroked the boy's hair. She pressed his head against her chest and was attempting to shield him.

No bug in that room. Glenna backed up and entered the next room, where she found a girl of about the same age as the one in the other room sitting inside. She was perched on top of a very tall bookshelf and was clutching her tattered and patched-up dress in her hands. Her dirty-blonde, shoulder-length hair was ratty. Her normally flawless coral lips were chapped and marred with marks, obviously from being bitten so often. Her grey eyes were wide and had deep shadows under them that made it appear that it had been a very long time since she last slept. "Is this because of Dad? Are the Goddesses punishing us with a plague?"

Seeing the girl in a ratty state only gave Glenna a minimal, invisible sense of satisfaction. She backed out of the room just in time to be shocked by the insect that was waiting for her there. The girls in either room screamed at the sight of the bug, but not at the sight of the wolf. Glenna had to remind herself that they could not see her as she forced herself back onto her feet. The insect climbed up the wall and skittered down the hall, causing more screams to sound from the other rooms. Glenna ignored them and jumped as it made a move to escape through a window. Her nails scraped the glass, making a horrible squealing noise, and the insect felt to the floor after her claws ripped through its body.

A clap of thunder caused more screams to sound from the residents of the house, and Glenna came to realize that she could not find another insect in the area. She slashed her claws against the window until there was enough force for her to climb out of it. As she re-entered the road that separated the village into two sides, she noticed a small, green flame hovering outside of a house. When she honed her senses, she saw that it was the spirit of an older man. "Another one of those? And it's huge! Dolores, get out of the house! It's coming straight at us!" Another spirit rejoined him, and the two of them hurried toward the house next to the one Glenna had just exited.

She looked for a huge bug, but visibility in the sky was decreasing as rain began to fall, making the ground turn into one huge lake of mud. Lightning struck, and the image of a gargantuan monster was temporarily illuminated. The monster was one of the bugs that stole tears of light, only about two-hundred times bigger. Where as Glenna could crush the regular insects with her nails, this one could take out a row of houses with its wings. Glenna backed up a little bit, the hackles of her hair rose up and her ears were pressed to her head.

**XxxxxX**

The trip down the Zora River passed quickly enough although Midna was, truthfully, somewhat frightened that they would be struck by lightning as it began to strike more frequently while the rain fell harder, and the thunder rumbled louder. "Well, our insect could be almost anywhere... Where do you think it is?" wondered Midna as she glanced around the Lake, which looked the same to her in every part while it was covered in twilight.

One of the Zoras that was stationed on a secluded, grassy hill was staring at a section of the lake with disbelief. "What... what _is _that?" he demanded, clearly frightened but also undeniably sickened. Link and Midna looked toward a secluded area of the lake that was abruptly humming with energy and pink electricity.

Midna and Link stared at the water until the bug took flight. "What... What the hell? Ugh. Ugh! That's so..." The insect was many times larger than the average twilight insect. It had only four small wings, two on each side, that should not have been able to give the disgusting creature flight. It had four small, light blue eyes. It had about three or so large, hairy antennae on its face and a milky liquid was secreted from its six feelers **(A/n: I am not well-versed in insect terminology, and I am definitely not looking up one... Looking at the Twilit Bloat is bad enough Dx). **"Disgusting. I don't want to look at it... Let's hurry and kill that thing."

Link hopped back into the water and swam toward the insect which, luckily, did not swim over to them and attack. _'This only has one tear of light?' _asked Link.

"Probably," replied Midna as he climbed onto a temporary raft. The insect, crackling with electricity, immediately hurled its body at them.

**XxxxxX**

Glenna jumped to the side as the insect swooped down on her. It came at her again, its body crackling with electricity, and she flattened her body against the ground. The insect missed her, but it was too heavy to be able to stop itself. Instead of hitting Glenna, its body leveled a house, and its electricity took out a few more. She stood back up and began to growl at it as it flew back toward her. This time the bug stopped, possibly to regain its energy.

She quickly jumped at it, sinking her claws into its body and tearing at its flesh. Her jaws snapped at every inch of the disgusting skin that they could reach, tearing off whatever they could grab. The insect threw her off, knocking her into a wall of one of the houses still standing on that side of the road. She slid slowly to the ground, where she became soaked in mud. The insect's electricity started again and flew at her.

Again, Glenna evaded the attack. And, again, the insect leveled a house. Glenna glanced backwards and noticed quite a few spirits hovering inside -- or what was once inside -- of the house. She winced, but kept her eyes focused on the insect. It had stopped moving again, and she tore into it once more. The procedure was not so complicated, but it was too lengthy and dangerous for Glenna's tastes. Glenna caught sight of a barrel out of the corner of her eye. She snapped her jaws at it once she was hurled back to the ground.

The insect, luckily, took the bait and flew at her. She ran backwards and, at the very last millisecond, jumped out of the way. The bug hit the barrel -- a drum of explosives -- and was hurled into the air. Glenna winced as it fell, crushing a house that she hoped was empty of all occupants. One of its wings had been destroyed, along with a few feelers, and it was lying flat on its back. Glenna quickly ran forward and jumped, landing with her claws piercing into the monster. She worked as fast as she could at destroying the bug's remaining feelers and legs before it exploded into twilight particles.

Glenna landed swiftly on the ground, and the single tear of light floated through the air to find its vessel. She panted and collapsed, noting that the house was blessedly empty. Only one tear for all that trouble, she huffed. Go figure.

**XxxxxX**

"Link, get out of the water!" cried Midna, who was floating a few feet above the surface, monitoring the whereabouts of the giant insect and her wolf charge. After the insect had once again destroyed the small raft Link was standing on, he had been left to paddle around the water as the insect plunged into the water. "The damn thing can fly_ and_ swim. That figures."

Link was panting and paddling toward the only remaining raft, but the insect was steadily following him from behind. He wasn't sure how much more stamina he had to deal with the overgrown larva. The bug resurfaced from the water and was somehow able to fly, despite its wet wings. Its body was buzzing with electricity; Midna could hear it.

"That's it," she growled as she held her hands over her head. A shadow ball was steadily growing over her hands. It did not stop at the size of a basketball, as it had before. Instead, it continued to grow until it was more massive than her, and Link in his hylian form. She released the shadow ball with a large cry, and it knocked the monster back into the water. As it hit the water's surface, its legs curled up, and it exploded into twilight particles.

The tear floated into the air and landed in the vessel. Midna floated down to Link, grabbing the vessel of light to see how many tears they had. "That's all of them? I knew that huge thing would only have one. That just figures... Let's get these to Lanayru."

**XxxxxX**

The Twilight lifted very abruptly, and the reappearance of the light returned Glenna to her hylian form on the spot. She sat in the mud, dirtying her white dress as she simply stared at the village with a dumbfounded expression. It certainly looked much more familiar to her in the light. A door close to where she was sitting was flung open, and she hastily stood. She stood there nervously, anticipating the appearance of one of her family members, and rung the muddy water out of her dress. Instead of one of her family members, a man approached her.

He, she realized, was the elderly man who had called his wife out of their house moments before the gargantuan insect destroyed it. "Young lady, are you alright?"

She must have looked terrible. Mud was covering her from head to toe, already drying in some places; her hair was frayed from the bug's electricity, and there were numerous cuts and marks all over her skin, which were only somewhat visible. "I'm fine."

The man began to chuckle. "You young-ins nowadays..." mused the man. He adjusted his bronze, wire-framed glasses. "You can't hide it from, missy."

"Hide what?" she replied, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"Glenna, you still look as you did when you were a girl," remarked the man. "It's been a very long time."

A hesitant smile appeared on her lips. "Yes, sir," she agreed. "It's been quite the ride. I don't even know how I made it back here, Mr. Josef," she lied.

Josef chuckled again. "Nonsense, girl. I still remember the day you were kicked out by your parents -- when you turned into a wolf. No one saw you but me, I believe. And, recently, there have been those horrible insects for so long. And, when the light returned, here you were. You took care of those bugs."

Glenna refused to throw her cover just yet. "How can you be so sure?"

"Ah, my dear, there have been legends upon legends... The sacred wolves, and whatnot. But we need not go into those," murmured Josef with the wave of his hand.

"It's so important that no one knows," mumbled Glenna, her head bowed.

Josef raised an eyebrow. "Why? Traveling through the twilit world, destroying monsters. You're as good as a celestial being."

"Some wouldn't think of it the same way. Wolves are beasts. Wolves are feared," stated Glenna. "So, those people would try to destroy me."

Josef nodded his head in thoughtful agreement, muttering something under his breath that was not quite audible. "Worry not, my dear. Your secret is safe with me. Are you going to see your family?"

Glenna purposely redirected the conversation. "Sorry about your house."

"It is just a house. It can be rebuilt. Now, Glenna, that is nothing in comparison to the work it takes to rebuild a very broken family..." Josef was very insightful and was not one to be deterred from the task at hand; that was why he was the elder of the village, Glenna supposed. She had never exactly understood before.

"And if I didn't want to rebuild that family?" Her eyes were hard and challenging, defensive and feral.

The pools of sapphires that were Josef's eyes appeared regretful. "I would say that maybe they have already done so without you." Glenna nodded, bothering to only wipe a bit of the dirt off of her face. She started past Josef. "Where are you going?"

"To tie some loose ends," answered Glenna in a growl.

**XxxxxX**

"Man. Where is she?" demanded Midna, who was idly floating around Lanayru's Shrine. "The last Fused Shadow isn't going to find itself."

Link pulled himself out of the shrine's healing water and into some of the tall grass, where he sat. "I don't know, but I'm worried."

The water began to glow, and Midna and Link immediately looked at it. "Ah, I guess this means the show's about to start. Okay, see you later. You find that girl soon, or else we go see the Zora child without her." Midna seemingly disappeared into the light of the water, but Link knew much better.

When the water began to slosh around, jumping onto the grass and covering Link, he made for higher ground. He walked to the tallest ground which stuck out and over the water like a diving board would have. The water ceased its violent motion at last, and a great, bright shape surfaced from it. A large orb of light floated into the air, and Link was covered in more water as a great serpent rose to catch it. The orb hovered before the snake as it turned to face Link. "Great Hero, you have traveled very far to reach this place. I also understand that you have faced many dangers. Some of which I, personally, deem unnecessary. I do not understand why you seek to possess the power of the dark, evil, Fused Shadows. However, I feel the need to tell you more about their past, and the past of the people who created them."

**XxxxxX**

Glenna folded her arms across her chest after she knocked on the door of her old house although she could have climbed through the window just as easily. As a wolf, she thought with a smirk. The door flew open, and the dirty-blonde young woman was standing in the doorway. Her expression was, at first, blank. When she registered the face of the girl she was facing, her eyes widened and mouth opened a little. "Nice to see you, Cara. Mom and Dad home? I thought we'd have a nice, big, happy family reunion."

She breezed past her oldest sister and started into the house. Cara slammed the door with a bang. "Sure. Please, come in. Hey, Glenn? Don't forget to wipe your bestiality on the floor before you go near anyone. Do you happen to have dog breath, too? Because that's a big no-no."

"Have you spent your whole life developing those kind greetings, Cara? Because that just proves that I have grown a helluva lot more than you have," remarked Glenna as she turned to face her sister.

A cruel smile slowly appeared on Cara's face. "You're not welcome here, Glenna. Our family's all happy and full now, you see. We've replaced you and Avon. Rom, Rem, come in here!" There was a steady pounding on the floor as two young, light-haired boys scurried into the room and before Cara. They smiled nervously at Glenna. "Meet my two younger brothers, Glenna. I would say 'our', but you're not really family anymore now, are you?" Cara laughed. "I suppose if you wanted to be our pet, Mom and Dad might be up to it now."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

**A/n: Sorry this chapter took me a really long time to do. Lots of bad high school related stuff. I must really thank cwizumi... because I loved the idea in her review. ;3 so the lyrics are really long today... but I really like them for this chapter/story in general, so... The song's good for it. :) Enjoy!**

_'Tell me would you kill to save a life? _

_Tell me would you kill to prove you're right? _

_Crash, crash. Burn, let it all burn. _

_[...]_

_You say you wrong, you wrong, _

_I'm right, I'm right, you're wrong, we fight. _

_Okay, I'm running from the light, running from the day to night. _

_Oh, the quiet silence defines our misery; the riot inside keeps trying to visit me._

_No matter how we try, it's too much history. _

_Too many bad notes playing in our symphony.'_

**-"Hurricane" by 30 Seconds to Mars ft. Kanye West**

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Glenna pursed her lips as Cara circled her like an animal that had spotted its prey. She and Cara had never been on the same side or wavelength, even at and before the age of only six. However, she thought that her oldest sibling was being excessively cruel. "Just because you've never been much farther than the kitchen and I've been all over Hyrule doesn't give you a decent reason to be so vicious," remarked Glenna as cooly as she could. She felt a sudden breeze in the room, despite the fact that no window was open.

"Ha. You think I care that you got out of this house? Well, you know, I _do_. But not for the reasons you're suggesting," replied Cara as she licked her lips and smoothed the folds in her bright, crimson dress. "I'm glad you're gone because you were always a stupid child. I'm glad Avon is gone because she was always annoying. I knew Mom and Dad would be a lot less stressed and nicer with you two gone. The effect started almost as soon as _you _were kicked out; it was magical."

"Cara? Who are you talking to?" came the voice of an older woman from the back of the house. Glenna visibly froze as two pairs of footsteps approached the three of them. A short woman with ratty, mostly grey hair entered the room and, standing beside her was a tall man with brown and grey hair. "Romulus and Remus, go to your rooms, and stay there," whispered the woman. "Now." The twins quickly sped to the back of the house, completely unaware of the tension in the room.

The man took a step forward, then stopped. He was wearing an elbow-length tunic, trimmed with gold and green at the collar and the hem. He stared at Glenna with cloudy grey eyes, his lips pressed tightly together. "I thought we agreed that you would never come back here, Glenna?"

Glenna could not even manage an ironic smirk as she lazed on one of the old, ratty couches in the room; she recalled its patched-up form from her childhood. "I had a feeling that you guys missed me, so I came back."

"We could never miss a monster," whispered her mother, who was tightly clutching the back of her father's shirt. Her mother wore a long, brown and green patched dress. Glenna found it wrong, somehow, that Cara had a nicer dress than their own mother. But she found it hard to pity the woman who was calling her a monster.

"Monster? Like those bugs that were crawling around your house?"

Her mother and father gasped. "So _you _sent those there," growled Father.

A smile twitched at the corner's of Glenna's lips. "Yes. I also made it rain, casing myself to look like this," she gestured to her muddied form, which was quickly melting into the couch's cloth. "I'm almost as powerful as the goddesses themselves now, you know."

"Hold your tongue, wretched girl," hissed Mother. "You will watch what you say while you are under our roof."

"I vote we have roasted wolf for dinner," suggested Cara idly.

"And I always suggested that we tie you to a pole at the entrance to the village because I knew your mouth would keep any pillagers out," remarked Glenna, "but no one listens to a six-year-old." She made herself more comfortable on the couch and turned to her parents with a charming smile. "So, what is it about me that scares you the most? The fact that I know I'm able to freely speak my mind to you? Or the fact that this can happen..." Glenna stood up for a moment, only for her form to arch and drop down to four white, furry legs.

Cara and her parents jumped onto another couch, staring at Glenna as if she were a gargantuan, offensive rat. She was stronger than that. Her lips lifted to reveal her perfectly sharp canines. Her throat rumbled as a deep growl escaped through her mouth. The hairs on their arms were rising, obviously fearful of the beast standing in their living room. Glenna had not been sure at first, when she had entered the house during the Twilight. She had thought that maybe she also killed the bugs inside because she cared for her family.

Now she knew that she could easily walk forward and pull out their tracheas without another thought, then walk away without feeling badly about it. She was way past caring about them after all. But she cared for herself enough not to do it. Her body shifted back into its hylian form, and Glenna stared at the cowering people that were her blood-related relatives. She wiped some of the slobber that had escaped her mouth while she was growling on the back of her long white sleeve. "You really are a savage now. What happened to my cute little baby, whose hair I used to put in pigtails?" demanded the mother.

Glenna raised an eyebrow. She was close enough to the trio that she could practically feel the fear and anger rolling off of them. "She learned what the real world really was when her father's refusal to admit he had a problem led her to lead a very different kind of life."

Without warning, her father withdrew a sword from a sheath she hadn't noticed. "Then, I will put her out of her misery." He put the tip of the long-sword to the bridge of her nose, digging into her skin just a little.

Just as quickly, Glenna withdrew her own sword from the sparkling, sapphire-encrusted sheath. Her sword was long, but not quite as broad as her father's. A pearl had been welded between the hilt and guard of the sword. Its grip was also covered with crushed sapphires. The rapier had, as most rapiers tended to, a complex hilt that protected her hand from most outside attacks. "Grandfather made a beautiful sword, didn't he?"

The man - she couldn't really call him father - simply stared at her. The uncomfortable silence that was slowly filling the room was cut short as something jumped out of Glenna's shadow. Midna's inverted appearance - even her regular one, really - was enough alone to frighten the villagers. She grinned, revealing her teeth in a vicious way. "Uh. Boo?" The three of them screamed before falling off of the back of the small armchair, and ran into the back of the house. They all must have run into the same room, Glenna guessed, since only one door slammed shut. Midna turned toward Glenna with a smirk. "I knew Link wouldn't be happy if we went on without you, so I decided to track you down. Nice family you've got here."

Glenna's cheeks flushed. "This is embarrassing on a whole lot of levels. But I think I owe you my gratitude, so, thank you."

"Don't sweat it, Blondie. You'll just have to find a way to repay me," remarked the imp. "I have an idea of how you can do it, too, but I'll wait on that one until later."

"Where's Link exactly?"

"Talking to the last light spirit. I guess we should probably join him," murmured Midna. With the snap of her fingers, their bodies dissolved into twilight particles.

**XxxxxX**

"When the goddesses left this world, never to truly return again, they each left behind a piece of them. These combined to make one true, powerful force, known as the Triforce. The Triforce could grant one person the power to rule all, should that person have a righteous heart. However, if they did not, then that person would only get one piece, and the other two would go to the two who most represented the traits of that shard. It did not take long for the legend of the Triforce to reach the ears of all Hyruleans. And, eventually, their greed turned them to fight for the power. Gone was the golden, sacred, beautiful land that the goddesses had created. Many fought against each other to gain this power... Family members fought and killed each other. Even the closest of friends turned against one another..."

Link had the sudden vision of himself standing in the darkness, with Ilia and Glenna on either side of him. They smiled at each other, and at the golden power that was the Triforce in the center of the light. Then, the smiles became not-so friendly. Ilia raised a dagger to Link, her eyes wiped of irises and pupils. They were only an eerie, cold white. But she gasped and fell to her knees. Glenna held up her sword, thick black blood rolling down the blade.

And, Link felt himself, without another thought, run her through with his own sword. Then, he was running toward the Triforce, hoping to get a piece of it, at least, for himself. "But none were any match for one particular group. There was a group of interlopers, who excelled in magic of a very dark force. They wielded a power known as the Fused Shadow in order to control the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce was being kept safe." Link saw himself fall to the ground, bleeding out from several deep wounds in his body. Then, he was standing near the Triforce, with the giant Fused Shadow behind it. Beside him were several men that did not quite resemble him, but Dark Link. His eyes were pure white. "It was then that we, the light spirits, were ordered to break and seal away the pieces of the Fused Shadow. The Goddesses deemed the interlopers unfit for the light realm, and they were sealed away in another realm, known as the Twilight Realm. There, the dark interlopers were without that particular, dangerous magic.

"What precisely became of them, I have not known... Until now. This Zant is raving and hungry for revenge for what was done to his ancestors. While you may use these Fused Shadows for good, Link, you must understand what was lost in the past by using them, and what could still happen if they are to be used. The dark interlopers, or Twili, are not a forgiving people. And Zant seems to be the most dangerous of them all. Do not forget this."

Link found himself standing in darkness once more. As he looked up, he noticed that rain was falling from whatever sky was above him. But, instead of water, the sky was raining all of his closest friends. Ilia, Colin, Beth, Rusl, Malo, Talo, the other villagers, Glenna, Midna. He screamed, in his own hell, his face contorted into that of the utmost madness and fear as his blank eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Link gasped, noticing that he was back in real time. The spring was empty and no longer glowing, and it looked a bit darker out now. Link's eyes widened for a moment before he fell to his knees, completely drained by what he had seen.

"Link?" cried Glenna. He heard her boots thud against the grass, and she bent over him with one hand on his right shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? What happened?"

He blinked and looked at her when he regained a grip on his sanity. "Glenna..." Without thinking too much, he reached up and put a hand on her cheek. It slid down her skin, then he dropped it to stare at the now-muddy hand. Link looked back up at her. "You look disgusting."

Glenna raised her eyebrows and puckered her lips like she had just tasted something extremely bitter. "I missed you, too."

**XxX**

Traveling around Lanayru by twilight portal and not by foot was so much easier and nice that Glenna knew she would feel extremely disappointed when she couldn't anymore. She and Link appeared on the bridge outside of Castle Town, leaving Link a small amount of time to explain what had happened in Zora's Domain and no time to ask where Glenna had been. As they started inside of the town, Glenna noted the sun beginning to sink over the horizon. "So we have to find this Zora child? That's not too bad, considering we've already seen him. But, getting him help, that's something else. I'm no Zora expert, Link."

"We can't just give up," he argued, nearly toppling over as a woman rushed by him with about five kids trailing behind her. "Geez, people here are rude."

"Yeah? I barely notice anymore," confessed Glenna as they moved through the bustling crowd, light on her toes as she avoided running into others and being run into. "Now, do you want to help the Zora because of the rewards you can get, or...?" She teased.

Link, obviously offended, frowned. "That boy's mother was brutally murdered in front of all of her people, and he's on his deathbed when he can't be much older than Colin. It would be wrong not to try to do anything for him."

Glenna nodded. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, I'm just a little on edge."

"I would guess so, what with you being gone for so long. And looking like you did," he remarked, giving Glenna a once-over with his eyes. Her clothes and skin were mostly clear of mud and wounds, as she had taken a quick dip in Lanayru's spring. "I would say you didn't have a whole lot of luck on your side."

She laughed bitterly as they turned down the alley where Telma's bar was. "You have no clue," she mumbled before throwing open the door. She was nearly run into by a short, hunched-back old man. He was a creepy looking man with extremely large, pointed ears and overly massive spectacles. His bones practically showed through his tanned skin, and his golden outfit, paired with tiny green shoes, reminded Glenna, strangely, of something a showgirl would wear. Or Cara. He stared up at Glenna, his tan lips drawn in a legitimate frown. "Excuse _me_, young lady," he snapped.

"Doctor Borville, I see you're as charming as usual," greeted Glenna with a sarcastic curtsy. The hylian doctor scowled and turned back toward Telma and Ilia, who was running after him.

"I do not know of Zora anatomy, child! What do I look like to you? A Zora? Ha!" laughed the doctor. "Find someone else who is 'more well-rounded' in their anatomy, eh?"

Ilia's eyes widened. "But, if you don't do something, he will die! You can't just let that happen!" she cried.

Doctor Borville cackled. "Watch me." He pushed past Link and Glenna in an effort to squeeze out of the doorway. The door slammed shut behind him. Ilia's jade eyes gleamed with tears, and they stopped on Link for just a moment. Then, she turned and returned to the Zora's side.

Link's mouth was open, trying to create words as his hand reached out toward his best friend. "Damn quack," growled Telma. "We'll see who has the last laugh!" she added a little louder. Telma blinked her eyes as her rage faded, and she realized who was standing at the door. "...Glenna?" As Ilia had not responded to Link's appearance, Ilia did not so much as twitch at Glenna's name. "Honey, where have you _been_? I've been worried sick!"

"It's complicated," admitted Glenna as she approached her surrogate mother. "Telma, what's a Zora boy doing here?"

Telma looked at Link, who was following after Glenna, quizzically but answered, "This girl here found him collapsed just inside of town. He's obviously come a long way from Zora's Domain, but I'm no doctor so I don't really know what's wrong. But I do know one thing, and you may know it, too, honey," added Telma to Glenna. "There's a shaman in Kakariko Village who is very intelligent about all things Goron, Hylian, Human, and even Zora-related."

There was an instant shuffling of feet and metallic clinking. "Well, we can't let two beautiful, unarmed women journey alone that far, right boys?" A Hylian soldier cried to the rest of his crew, who roared and raised their spears in reply.

"They have us," retorted Glenna as she lifted her sword and gestured to Link.

The soldier's lip curled. "That's cute, Blondie. If you were _really _that strong, Zelda would be on the outside with you."

Glenna raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to mess, Franco? If you soldiers were really _capable, _Hyrule Castle wouldn't have been sieged."

"That's very nice of you boys," said Telma, speaking over Franco and Glenna as they began to spit retorts at each other. "Because we have to travel through several monster-infested fields. We'll need all of the manpower that we can get. Pack your bags, honey. We're going to Kakari- Huh?" Telma had glanced at Ilia for only moment, and when she looked back, the soldiers were all gone.

Glenna rested her sword on her shoulder as she ran to the door, watching the soldiers retreat. "Huh. I guess we know who the man is now! And don't come back!" She slammed the door with all of the strength she could muster in her left arm. "Telma, Link and I know the way to Kakariko. We'd be more than happy to take you there."

Telma smiled. "I knew we could count on you, honey."

"But the Bridge of Eldin's missing a piece. We'll have to go another way," reported Link.

Glenna nodded. "The bridge over Lake Hylia, then."

"Alright, hon, you get everything together, okay?" asked Telma. Ilia nodded immediately, and ran off to get whatever the barkeeper expected her to get. She turned back to Link and Glenna with an eyebrow raised, her arms folded over her chest. "Now, Glenna, are you going to introduce me to your handsome young warrior friend?"

"Telma, this is Link. Link, you know about Telma," remarked Glenna.

Link smiled and nodded. "Glenna's told me a lot about you. It's nice to meet you."

"And you, too, Link," replied Telma. "Now, I can tell you two know this girl, particularly you, hon," she added to Link.

Link's smile quickly faded. "Her name is Ilia. She lives in Ordona Village with me; she's my best friend. What happened to her?"

"When she came here, she had an arrow sticking out of her back. I don't think she came here of her own free will; I think she was left behind by some monster that decided it didn't want her," confided Telma. "I found her at the entrance of town, and took her to the doctor. He treated her for the wound, but she couldn't even seem to remember her own name. He says he doesn't know how it happened, but I'm guessing that the experience was so traumatic that her psyche had to shut it out."

"Makes sense," agreed Glenna. "I wonder if Renado can do anything for her."

Telma winked at her as Ilia approached them once more. "Renado can do anything."

**XxX**

"You two are sure you've got everything?" asked Telma from a brown horse as she clenched its reigns in her hand. The question had only been posed about five times since they had left. Link and Glenna, both riding on their horses, nodded. "Good. You two lead the way."

Avianna and Epona trotted ahead of the cart that Telma was leading; it held Ilia and the Zora prince. Glenna leaned her head closer to Link's and whispered, "I'm a little nervous about using the bridge. It's so narrow. If there's _any _sort of ambush, either of us can be sent flying over it."

Link acknowledged her concern with a nod. "Well, if that happens, the other one will have to lead."

"It's also why having me is even more of a bonus than usual," remarked a third voice from Link's shadow. Glenna and Link smirked. "So stop sweating the little stuff, Blondie." As the horses continued to strut on the straight path, their riders began to notice a suspicious lack of monsters. Neither commented until they reached the clearing with the bridge.

Miraculously, the bridge had withstood the fire. However, this time around, it held a new surprise. Sitting atop his large, oddly-colored boar was none other than King Bulbin. "Just the wonderful thing I was hoping for," groaned Glenna as she unsheathed her sword. "Now what?"

"You let me take care of him," informed Link, who drew his sword as he moved toward the bridge.

"Just like that?" demanded Glenna. "We both need to make decisions here, Link; we're a _team_! Well, at least form a plan!" she added, but Link shrugged off her comments to leave her behind, frowning and seething.

Telma stopped the cart at the mouth of the bridge beside Glenna. "You two are somethin' to watch, honey. Whispering and yelling at each other. The two of you act like some sort of old married couple."

Glenna blushed. "Telma, don't insinuate such silly things. We're a team, so we're supposed to have each other's backs, you know."

"Mmhm," answered Telma with a grin. Ignoring her surrogate mother for the time being, Glenna observed King Bulbin. The gargantuan Bulbin looked about the same as the previous time, only he was wielding two large, metal shields on either arm. That meant that Link would have a hell of a time in hitting King Bulbin.

"Link, it's really not too late to come up with a plan!" called Glenna as Epona and Lord Bulbo surged toward each other. Maybe she was a tad late. Link made a stabbing motion as he and King Bulbin closed in, but it was not carefully aimed and missed. As he came beside the Bulbin, Link was slammed by one of the shields and knocked clear off the bridge. Glenna winced at Link's scream.

_'Okay, Blondie, regroup,' _demanded Midna within Glenna's mind. _'You can't hit him with a sword. Not well, at least. So, use your area of expertise: shoot him in the face. Probably with something stronger than just an arrow, though.'_

Glenna pulled the Hero's Bow into her hand. "But I don't have any bombs," she complained.

"Light it up, honey," remarked Telma. "Strike the arrowhead against the bridge." Glenna tried it out and quickly realized that would suffice. "Be careful, now," warned Telma.

Glenna thought of Link, who had been thrown off the bridge, and hoped he had fallen into the water. She knew Midna would go down at help him, but it would have to be in a way that would not draw attention to her. Then again... Glenna looked up at the sky and realized that it was already dark. Midna would have no problem going unnoticed in the darkness. "Let's go, Avi. Don't run too fast, though," she added to the nervous foal.

Avianna began to trot forward and Glenna suddenly felt an enormous amount of pressure on her. If she failed, Telma would be left alone for an undisclosed amount of time. Even if Link returned quickly, there was still a good chance that she and the others could be hurt. Glenna became more determined to do well as she noticed the still-burning arrow.

She narrowed her eyes as the large creature approached her. It was much easier for her to aim for her target than Glenna expected. The smoke from the arrow blinded her a little, but she released the arrow nonetheless. There was a grunt from King Bulbin, who slumped for a moment as they moved to opposite sides of the bridge. The arrow still did not have enough power.

For the time being, it would have to suffice. She repeated what she had done previously, with the same result, and returned near Telma. Link had returned. "Try this." He offered her a bomb. As Avianna moved forward, Glenna took the bomb and tied it to the arrow with a bit of rope. Even more smoke blinded her, and she released the arrow. The growl from King Bulbin let her know that she had hit her target.

The group watched as King Bulbin sailed over the bridge and into the lake. Glenna wiped some sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "Not bad, honey," commented Telma with a grin as she moved the cart past the bridge.

"Nice work," remarked Link. "I thought you'd be miserable without me."

"Sorry to disappoint," replied Glenna with a smirk. "So... is that it?"

"Nope," replied Link as he walked past her and bent down. The oversized Bulbin had dropped a particular large, shiny key. "I think he gave us the key to unlock Kakariko's gate."

Glenna grinned. "How nice of him!"

**XxX**

The journey through the field was hectic, involving many wrong turns by Telma's horse after getting repeatedly attacked by the same Kargaroc. The cycle was finally broken when Glenna thought to hang back and shoot it with an arrow. By the time they cleared the field and were just inside Kakariko's gate, the sun was rising. Glenna jumped off Avianna near the spring and collapsed in the water. "We've been gone for almost exactly a day. Good timing," breathed Glenna as she stood up.

Renado had run outside to meet Link and the others and was now carrying the pale Zora into the Inn. Ilia and Telma followed close while Link leaned against the railing outside. Glenna joined him. "You think he'll be okay?"

"He has Renado," replied Link, "so I think he'll be fine."

"Glenna!" cried Avon as she exited the Inn. "You're back, much sooner than I expected."

Glenna nodded. "Same here." She paused, wondering whether or not she should tell her sister about her adventure into their old journey. Deciding it was a worthy tail, Glenna said, "Avon, I went to our old house."

"What?" demanded both Avon and Link.

"The insects were all there," retorted Glenna in her defense. "They all looked so pathetic in the twilight... I think I may have even felt bad." The memory felt distant to her now, she realized with a small smile. "Then, after I beat a gargantuan insect and the twilight lifted, I went home. Josef wanted me to try to tie up loose ends. Well, Cara answered the door..." She explained in full detail what had happened, excluding the part that Midna had scared them all away and replaced that with a weak ending.

Avon shook her head. "What a bitch," she mumbled. "I never thought Cara would be left around. I always assumed they would replace her or get rid of her or... something."

"No, they just wanted to get rid of us, no one else," concluded Glenna. "It was a good learning experience."

Link, who had been excessively quiet throughout the story, asked, "What did you learn?"

"That my unfinished business is finished. Now, if I die, I don't have to worry about coming back as a ghost," she answered.

Turning to face Renado's shack, Link shook his head and tilted his head up toward the sky. "I don't think I believe you. No one could be alright with what happened, even you. That's rough."

"But there's no point to being upset," pointed out Avon. "That's just how our parents are and always will be."

Glenna rocked back and forth on her heels as her hands clenched into fists. "Man, I wish I had waited long enough for that insect to level their house..."

"Hey," called Telma from the Inn's doorway, halting their conversation. She stepped outside to join them. Glenna realized that she was smiling quite a bit.

"So? How's Prince Ralis?" asked Link.

Telma nodded. "Great. He should recover in a few days. That Renado, he's a miracle worker!" Said Shaman exited the Inn and started down the slope, no doubt heading for his Sanctuary. "See ya, honey. Take care!" Then, Telma was trudging after Renado, Glenna thought, like a woman on a mission.

"Now what?" wondered Glenna as she leaned against the wooden fence and stared over the the top of the building.

"G...ghost!" whispered Avon, pointing at something near the Sanctuary with a frozen expression. Link and Glenna looked in the direction and found a spectral figure hovering. The ghost of Queen Rutela waved them over. "Wait, you're _following _it?" demanded Avon as Link and Glenna ran toward the dead queen.

Glenna nodded. "Of course. See you around, Avon!" When they reached the tree where Queen Rutela was, she led them further, into the graveyard. Then, she led them through the graves, up the stairs, and near a small hole. Then, she disappeared. "Oh. I don't like this. Claustrophobia."

"Stay out here with the crows, then?" suggested Link with a glanced toward the birds, which were gathering in the air.

Glenna quickly shook her head and dropped to the ground. "Me first!" The tunnel ended quickly and they found themselves standing on a small piece of land, in front of a deep pond with another piece of land beyond it. "Whoa." There was a surprising amount of fish in the pond. She bent down and placed her hand in the water, only to be startled by the voice of Queen Rutela.

"Thank you for helping my son. He and the Zora people deserve this," she remarked with a sad smile. "Glenna, I have quite missed seeing you around the Domain. When you stopped visiting, it felt like we had lost one of our own," confessed the Queen. Glenna smiled and inclined her head.

"I am very sorry to hear of your fate. It's a shame that those beasts took away such a beautiful, strong and capable leader. But I know you, so I know Ralis will be just as good," decided Glenna.

Rutela smiled. "Now, as promised, I will give you something for your help." She drifted over the water and Link noticed the grave on the other piece of land. It slid away to reveal some blue cloth and metal. Link crossed the pond and picked up the armor. "For you. Before you go in the water, pull the helmet - and veil - over your face. However..." Queen Rutela looked at Glenna. "There is another similar one in the Throne Room back in the Domain."

Link nodded. "Thank you."

"Now, I believe I can finally rest with my husband... But, I must ask one more favor. Please, let Ralis know of my fate. And, also, let him know how proud his father and I are. Thank you both." The Queen's image slowly faded until there was nothing left of her.

Glenna smiled sadly. "I'm happy that, at least, she can be with her husband now." she mused as she slowly sat by Link's feet.

"Hey, Glen, could you turn away from me?" The embarrassment and nervousness in Link's voice was clear. Glenna giggled.

"What's wrong, are you shy? Aw, I won't give you a hard time. Alright?" Glenna turned away from Link and watched the fish swim as he changed. He announced when he was done, and Glenna turned back. "Wow, Link. That's... something."

Link was covered, head to toe, in blue. His hat was now blue with a piece of Zora armor over it. His shirt consisted of short blue sleeves but was mostly made of a green scalelike material and, of course, his brown and black gloves. He wore the green Zora symbol around his neck, some blue chain mail with the Zora symbol. The only other difference in his outfit were the blue, flipper-like boots. "I want one," remarked Glenna with awe.

Midna hovered between them. "Before we worry about that other tunic, let's remember that we have a Fused Shadow to get. Do either of you even know where it is?"

"Yes," answered Glenna immediately. "The most protected area, the place that was once the Zora's sacred place. It's in the Lakebed Temple. I know, I should have said something before; it just became clear."

"Awesome. And, if it's called the Lakebed Temple, then it must be at the bottom of Lake Hylia?" asked Midna; Glenna nodded. "So you both need this armor to get down there. Another nod. "Link, can you handle going to the temple by yourself while Blondie and I get the other armor?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "I still don't know where it is."

"Here," replied Glenna as she grabbed the map out of his pocket. She grabbed a marker of some sort, too, and put an 'x' over some area in the lake. "Tada! Just wait inside of the temple somewhere. I've never seen the temple, but I hear it's tricky to navigate, and we don't want to lose you."

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**A/n: Wow. That was a really long chapter. Hah. Hope you enjoyed it! Please review and I will try to update again soon.**


	18. Feel Safe Again, Look Over Your Shoulder

**Chapter 18:**  
To Feel Safe Again, Look Over Your Shoulder

**A/n: Wow, I am so sorry it took this long to update. Dx Don't worry, even if it seems otherwise, I promise I am definitely not giving up on this story. It's still my baby. And, right now, it's my main project. Enjoy! **

_'How many times do you want to die? __How many ways do you want to die?  
To feel safe again, look over your shoulder.  
Very carefully, look over your shoulder.'_

**-"The Royal We" by Silversun Pickups**

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The light was gone from the sky by the time Midna and Glenna returned to Lake Hylia. Glenna transformed back into her human form and chewed on her lip. "Damn. I know where the temple is, but it's going to be even harder to locate with it being so dark..." She looked beside her only to discover that Midna was gone. Sighing with exasperation, Glenna stripped off her clothes in favor of her new ones. She pulled the veil over her face before jumping into the dark water.

After a couple feet, she began to feel quite claustrophobic and a tiny bit lonely. She looked downward and realized that the entrance to the temple was shining a little under the moonlight. Some more feet later and her feet finally touched the bottom. The entrance was opened, no doubt by Link, and she swam into it.

The tunnel was even darker than the water had been, so much so that she could barely see where she was going. Glenna reached about blindly until her hand touched something that felt slimy. A second later, her heart skipped a few beats as electricity surged through her body. She kept swimming, past the electric thing, and felt the edge of the tunnel. She moved against it to have some sort of idea where she was going.

When she moved further into the tunnel, a light in the distance began to illuminate it. She swam and swam until she was bathing in the light and breaking through the surface of the water. Something slimy touched her foot, and she was greeted by another shot of electricity.

Glenna rung her hair out on the tile floor as soon as she pulled herself out of the tunnel. She peeled back the veil and coughed up a small amount of water. "Way too much water. Way too much." She looked around and realized that the entryway was completely empty. "Link should be here. Where's Link?"

_'That boy is too curious. He's probably further inside.' _Glenna nodded in agreement with Midna's statement, pulled herself off the floor and entered into a rather cold room.

The room was large and full of water. Most of it was on the ground, but some of it was spouting off the walls or dripping from the ceiling. However, despite its size, it was empty of any and all monsters. Glenna began to expect the temple to be easy although, upon remembering the Bari and Shell Blades in the tunnel, she immediately doubted the notion.

"Way to listen, Link," mumbled Glenna as she entered the next room. Immediately, she completely forgot why she was angry and nearly forgot how to breathe. The chamber was absolutely gigantic and filled with much. It had a few floors in it with two grand staircases, a beautiful chandelier, a pool at the very bottom, and a central column jutting out of said pool. "I could _live _here."

Despite her eagerness, Glenna shivered. While beautiful, the temple was a bit creepy, too, and really, really cold. Not to mention she did not see Link and the size of the room began to discourage her that she would find him any time soon. "No, you couldn't," argued Link. She looked around expectantly but still could not find him. When she looked up, Glenna jumped a little at the sudden appearance of Link as he jumped over a small fence.

"You're right. It's sort of lonely here," she decided. Without much thinking about it, Glenna grabbed his hand, which was warm in hers. "I missed you. And, that tunnel? That was impossible to get through in the dark."

Link nodded as he glanced at the arm whose hand he was holding. "Yeah, you have welts from the Bari," he noted. "You really should be more careful. It seems dangerous to take you just about anywhere."

"As cute as this is, we have a Fused Shadow to find, remember?" chastised Midna as she resurfaced from Glenna's shadow. "This place is really big, so let's try not to get separated, hm?"

As they walked down the grand staircase, Glenna imagined the temple when it was less out of shape. She imagined Zoras frequenting it with the sage who was always there. Though, she knew, no Zoras had really visited it; just the sage. They examined what was on the different levels and noted that there were about ten doors, if not more. Link and Glenna were unsure of where to start, so they simply settled for the first door that they saw. **(A/n: So this temple always kill me on the inside a little. Because of that, I'm going to shorten it quite a bit.) **

The room that they entered did not seem to have much more to it than a bridge linking the main room to another room, but Glenna noticed a large, deep waterway beneath them. There was an obvious current in the water, and the water was foggy so it was hard to see into, but she noticed some Bari and shivered.

The next room was simple enough. It consisted mostly of a strip of concrete with shallow water on either side of it. Swimming in the water were vicious-looking skeletal fish. As they reached halfway down the strip, bars abruptly slid over the door, and two dark shapes dropped on either side of them. They were tall lizard creatures wielding short (but very sharp) swords and small shields with small axes tied to the tips of their tails. Link glanced back at her for a moment, but she did not notice. It seemed that the Lizalfos' dropping had awoken a very large, angry group of Keese, which swooped down at them.

Though Glenna usually did not pay attention to Keese, their hooked tails were becoming caught in her hair, so she was flailing without thinking much. Link swiped at some of them, just to clear his space a little, and was promptly knocked to the ground by one of the Lizalfos' swords. He recovered quickly and pointed his sword at it, but it was already blocking with its shield. How the hell was he supposed to get through its shield? Then, something came to him. Link jutted his shield forward, startling the Lizalfos and causing it to drop its guard. With its defense gone, he knocked it into one of the pools with the fish, which promptly swam in on and began to peck at it. They covered it in a swarm; it was difficult to watch. He did the same with the final Lizalfos and turned around to find Glenna still trying to detangle the Keese from her hair.

He watched her for a moment and had to stifle laughter. It looked like the Keese were just as freaked out as she was. "You think we should help her?" wondered Midna, who had reappeared beside Link.

"We'll give her another minute," he decided. After about two more minutes of Glenna's flailing and yelling at Link for some help, he got rid of them. There was some small squeaking coming from the back of her head. Link walked to Glenna's back and found a rather small Keese struggling to free itself. He plucked it from her hair and allowed it to float down into the pool with the fish.

Glenna grumbled as the door became unbarred and they started toward it. "Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it." After a moment, she remarked, "You know, you've gotten really good. You didn't even need me to tell you what to do."

"Yeah, I picked up some tricks here and there."

The door led them to a few more rooms, all of which required either diving to the bottom of a pool with a school of Skullfish and Shell Blade to get a key or climbing up to high places to press switches while Keese swooped down on them. They reached a final room, which appeared to be a dead end. All that was in the room were a bunch of ladders and stacked cubes that led nowhere. "There aren't any doors in here," remarked Glenna. "Damn it! I hate this place."

"Calm down," replied Link, calm as always as his eyes swept the area. They stopped on a cube halfway up the wall, but there was nothing leading to it. "Hey! There's something! I'm giving you a boost, alright?"

Glenna stepped beside him and follow his gaze. "You mean is it alright for you to shove me into that little, suspicious hole? Of course. Be a good boy and don't look up my dress now."

"I bet Princess Zelda loves having you around," remarked Link as he crouched down by the wall beneath the hole. He lowered his hands for Glenna to step onto them, and he slowly (and somewhat laboriously) lifted her.

"I bet she does," agreed Glenna. "Actually, I'm not usually so charming with her. I go there early in the morning, so I'm tired and kind of, well, bitchy. Then, by the time I'm finished getting cut up and shot, I'm tired and bitchy in a different way. On my lighter days, she usually realizes what a charmer I am. I guess I save all of my charms for you, Link." Her tone made it difficult for him to tell whether or not she was being sarcastic. Glenna's hands grabbed the ledge and her nails sank into the dirt. One final boost was enough to get her in.

Link took a few steps backwards to watch her as she crawled deeper inside. A shadow suddenly fell over him, and he looked around instead of up. Then, a force dropped onto the back of his neck, and he had the sensation of being lifted off of the ground. He looked down and quickly realized it was more than a sensation. "Glenn! Forget the hole!"

"Forget the hole? It's our only lead!"

"I'm about to be lifted into the ceiling!"

Glenna huffed but realized that she had become lodged in the small tunnel. "I can't move!" She tried to move backwards, but it was as if the tunnel had become smaller. When she pulled herself forward, she was able to move, but she was still unable to move backwards. "…I can only move forward, I guess."

Link wriggled in the thing's grip as he fished the Gale Boomerang out of his pack. He wrenched the boomerang backwards and hit whatever it was holding him. The thing released him, and he came crashing to the ground. Something thudded behind him, promptly followed by a scuttling like sound. When Link turned around, he saw something - he was not quite sure what - retreat into a dark corner. Slowly, he followed it. Once he cornered it, it stepped a little bit out of the darkness in order to attack him.

The creature was an oversized, decayed-looking hand. It picked up its fingers like a horse rearing before knocking into Link. "This… is the weirdest thing ever." He unsheathed his sword and sliced the Wallmaster. It fell to the ground with one finger twitching. Link backed up a few paces, and the Wallmaster suddenly sprinted to life and climbed up the wall to disappear into the ceiling. He decided it would be best to keep his guard up as he returned to the hole. "Glenn, I think I just got attacked by a… dead hand." She did not answer. "Glenn?"

Glenna had fallen out of the tunnel abruptly in a small dark room with purple walls. There was nothing in the room except what looked like a crypt at the very end. "Why? Why do we have to ruin pretty water temples with death and killer jellyfish? Why?" She pushed open the top, cleared the thick spider webs covering the inside like a canopy and found a decayed-looking body inside. Its face was covered with a brown mask, and she could perfectly see it skeletal figure.

She was about to close up the crypt when she noticed a key, shining in all of its glory, in the grip of the skeleton. "That… so figures." Glenna reached inside and pulled out the key. It made a horrible squelching noise as she retrieved it from the skeleton. As she began to walk away, predictably, the skeleton sat up and rose out of the crypt. A high-pitched shriek emitted from it and echoed throughout the room. Glenna wanted so badly to scream, but her vocal chords seemed frozen.

'_A ReDead. Of course.' _Even though her ears were ringing, she could hear the zombie-like creature's feet slap against the semi wet ground. Her brain yelled at her body to wake back up and, after another agonizing moment of being unable to see her enemy, it did. Immediately, she ran to the wall and reached up to the hole and reached up. "Link, you better get me out of here!"

There was no response, and she cursed under her breath as she turned to see the ReDead slowly walking toward her. She had, at the very least, heard the zombies were not difficult to defeat, but its appearance made her not want to move toward it. Maybe she could shoot an arrow at it… She thought this idea, but her hand did not want to move. ReDeads were even scarier in person. _'Damn it!' _

Something grabbed her from behind, and she screamed; the ReDead also screamed, and she found herself unable to move again. One arm was grabbed, then the other, and she was yanked out of the room and lifted into the tunnel. Glenna's muscles relaxed for only a moment as her body tensed with fear once more.

"Glenn, it's me. Calm down." Link had climbed a ladder located close to the tunnel and had jumped from it in order to get into the tunnel. He released her arm and her mouth, but she could not turn to see him. "That must have been magic before. Or maybe you're just really bad at moving backwards. Come on." They scooted backwards through the tunnel, the ReDead on the other side continuously screaming but not freezing them. "What was that thing?"

"A… A ReDead," breathed Glenna. "I've seen pictures, but I didn't think… I thought they weren't real. Just myths."

Once they were safely located on the ground (though Link obviously did not feel safe as his eyes searched the ceiling for the Wallmaster), Glenna mentioned, "At least I got a key out of that. Though, I have to wonder why a crypt with a zombie would be in here…"

"Maybe someone died," replied Link as they backtracked to the main room.

Glenna pursed her lips. "Not funny."

Once they had returned to the hub room, she allowed him (as he had the map) to navigate to their next location. As they started up the staircase, though, she paused and looked around. "Hey, do you hear that?"

Link glanced back at her, if not a little impatiently. "Hear what?"

A moment later, there was a much larger sound, like the sound of crashing water. Then, a large amount of water began to pour down the staircase with so much force that they were knocked back down it and into the door they had just come out of. After taking a moment to recover, they rolled out of the way and stood. "That was…" Link trailed off.

"Completely and totally weird?" she suggested before starting back toward the staircase. "It's going to be a big hassle trying to get back up." As if someone were listening to her, the staircase suddenly swung out of the way, and the water began to crash, instead, into the pool below. Glenna backed up a few paces. "We definitely can't skip this haunted place?"

Midna popped back up. "It's a lot better than the Goron Mines," she remarked. "And, no. I need that last Fused Shadow, so suck it up, Blondie, or leave. No one's making you stay." Glenna grumbled under her breath but said no more as Link led them to where the staircase was now sitting.

"All I'm saying is that we are not alone." They walked up the stairs tentatively until they were halfway up, then they made a dead run to the next floor. Glenna threw the key to Link, and he used it to unlock the door with the water flowing beneath it. They walked in silence for a while until they reached a fork. "Let's not split up again, especially not with some ghost in our midst," remarked Glenna when Link opened his mouth.

"Fine," he replied with a slight smile. "Left then."

"But left is evil," she pointed out.

Link raised an eyebrow as he held up his left hand, which was currently holding the Ordon Sword. "Are you calling me evil?"

"Left it is," agreed Glenna chipperly. The path wound downward and, eventually, stopped at a dark pool of water. "Yeah, I was right. Evil."

Link nodded as he sheathed his sword. "Alright. You can stay here if you want." He pulled up his veil and began to enter the cold water. Glenna quickly did the same. "Man, Glenn. You act about five years old. Are you sure you can handle this whole saving Hyrule thing?"

"Well, I'm doing alright so far, I think. Besides, I may be immature, but I'm mega smart. And, above all, how can you not like my changeling skills?"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I guess you bring up a good point, sort of..."

The pool began at least semi-bright at first and empty of absolutely everything. At some point as they swam through it, a large amount of seaweed began to appear and gave Glenna a scare when she thought a piece that had wound around her ankle was a Bari. Then, the pool became extremely dark, cutting their visibility, so Link was only a little surprised when he found himself face to face with a Shell Blade. The clam like monster began to slowly hop toward him, its mouth snapping open and closed in a threatening manner. He promptly sliced it in half and it fell to the bottom of the sea floor no more.

Just beyond where the Shell Blade had been was a fence which was being blocked by a large rock. Two Bari floated around the fence forebodingly. "Alright," sighed Glenna as she caught the expression on Link's face. "I'll distract them while you take care of the rock..."

"You're sweet, Glenn," remarked Link as she swam upwards and caught the attention of the Bari. They immediately noticed her and began to move their tentacles toward her as he swam forward and dropped a bomb. Glenna dodged the tentacles and, as soon as the bomb exploded, swam into the opening in the fence after Link. The area was now completely pitch black and they had to feel the walls in order to find out where they were going. When a light appeared overhead, they swam toward it.

Link disappeared from view first and held out a hand to help Glenna out of the water tunnel. The room they found themselves in was fairly large, at least in height, but there was not much to it other than a blue gate and a few inches of water covering the floor. Water dripped from the ceiling. "This looks like a dead end. I guess we'd better go back," he mumbled as he stepped into the center of the room. Some of the water dripped onto his hand, and he looked up. Glenna followed his gaze and her eyes widened.

"...Oh." A particularly disgusting-looking, oversized frog with a large, lower pink lip and beady orange eyes was peering at them from the ceiling. The realization that the stuff dripping from the ceiling was not water quickly came upon them. Link moved to the north side of the room while Glenna stayed on the south as the creature dropped to the floor, splashing water on them. The frog shook its large head, which was ten times Glenna and Link's size, and spread a bunch of olive green-colored spheres around them. Glenna poked at one with her foot and it cracked open. A smaller version of the large Deku Toad stood before her and, soon, there were about twelve more surrounding her. Twelve surrounded Link, but he evaded him and ran toward her.

"You see that thing? When it opens its mouth, it sticks out its tongue."

"Yum," mumbled Glenna. "Great. What good is that?"

"I'll deal with the babies and you deal with the mama," remarked Link, waiting for Glenna to understand. She still did not get it.

"What am I supposed to-?" She paused, thinking about a tongue hanging out of a conscious enemy... "Oh! You want me to shoot it!"

Link nodded. "Yep."

Glenna moved off to the side and slid an arrow into the bow. She pulled the string taut and shot an arrow at the tongue. The Deku Toad hissed and began to charge toward her, but it moved about as fast as a tortoise, giving Glenna more than enough time to shoot it twice more. It collapsed to the ground, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. By this time, Link had finished off the smaller toads and ran forth with sword drawn. He stabbed it into the tongue, but the frog quickly regained consciousness and stood, throwing Link and his sword off. Then, it jumped into the air and disappeared from view.

"This could be worse," remarked Glenna. "The frog could be using its size to its advantage." And, as she said this, a shadow began to loom over them. They both moved, but Link slid in the water and dropped his sword. "Damn it, Link," hissed Glenna as she backtracked and pulled Link out of harm's way just in the nick of time. However, the toad had landed atop his sword. More eggs were thrown off the mother, but Glenna knew that they were close to defeating it. She threw Link her sword as the newly hatched toads swam toward them. Link wielded the sword like a pro, defeating the toads as she shot more arrows. The toad fell once more and Link moved more swiftly this time and defeated it for good. The toad's body dispersed into a large bubble of toxic, which fell away to reveal a large chest.

Link doubled-back to grab his sword and Glenna threw open the chest and pulled out a claw like glove. She stared at it in wonder before putting it on. "What do you think this does?" she asked Link before aiming at a random target around the room. To her surprise, the claw shot off like a gun and attached to the target on the ceiling. She released the claw from the ceiling and came crashing to the floor. As Link approached her, Glenna threw him the Clawshot. "I'm not a fan of that thing."

**XxxxxX**

"Hm. I'm not pleased with our progress, I must confess," remarked Zant to a Twilight Beast with a shield on its forehead that stood closest to his chair. "Those three are gathering the parts to that foolish little piece of ancient magic... They think they'll use it against me. Well, I have news for them. They won't. In fact, let's make things more difficult for them, mm?" The monster growled something that Zant seemed to be able to understand. He chuckled. "Yes, yes. But it will have to occur at the perfect moment, otherwise the plan will not work.

"And, if this does not work, I have an even better plan in store to steal all of their hope and play them all right into my corner."

* * *

**A/n: Short chapter because I really wanted to get this up/free my brain from thinking of any more imaginative edits to the temple.I remember thinking when I first played the Water Temple in OoT: "This is great. This place is safe!" Because I, you know, hated all of the Wallmasters/ReDeads found in every other temple. So, I decided to ruin the Lakebed Temple by adding them. :D**** If the appearance of the ReDead confused you, its based on its actual OoT artwork - not the weird, red appearance in-game. Also, I got the idea for that key scene from a movie. If you can guess what it is, you get a virtual cookie. **


	19. Fight to Get it Back

**Chapter Nineteen**:  
Fight to Get it Back

**A/n: Three reviews. For one chapter? Ohemgee guys, you've made me feel like I kid in a candy store! Thank you so much! :DD We're finally pushing the twenties. And the end is… kinda in sight? I decided to change things, so it may take a bit longer, but that's okay. Right? xD Enjoy!**

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The gate in the Deku Toad room led them out and back to the fork that they had earlier been deciding on which way to go. Upon returning to the main room, Link and Glenna leaned over the railing. She remarked, "What if you're not supposed to get the water into a room. What if you're supposed to use the water so that we can get in there," she gestured down to the large door on the pillar in the pond below. The platform with the door sat some feet above the current water level.

Link nodded. "Then the staircase is in a good place. But I think we need a lot more water in there."

"And, of course, the key that'll let us in," added Glenna.

Midna resurfaced from Glenna's shadow. "It sounds like you two have a lot of work ahead of you, so you'd better split up. It'll get the job done faster."

Glenna groaned. "Is that really a good idea?"

"Yeah, we don't have the same things. What if Glenna has something I need?" demanded Link.

Midna shrugged. "Deal with it?" she suggested before disappearing into Glenna's shadow.

Glenna heaved a breath. "Alright. So... I guess I'll see you around." Link opened his mouth to say something. She shook her head. "Don't sweat it. Once one of us finds the big key and we have all the water we need, we'll meet back here."

**XxX**

Some time later, Link pulled up one of the doors to find the last room in the series of corridors he had been following. There was a large gate on the east wall and Link splashed in the water in his eagerness to reach it. He took out the Clawshot to pull on the lever that he guessed would release the water. He abruptly stopped when he noticed another person in the room. "Oh, Link, finally. I've been waiting for a really long time. The only way to get that water out is with the damn Clawshot," complained Glenna.

"How'd you get in here?" asked Link, surprised.

She shrugged a little. "Not too sure about that one. I guess I took some weird turn and ended up here, eventually. So, go ahead. I can't wait to get out of this old, cold place."

Link aimed with the Clawshot and hit the lever, which opened the gate. Glenna sidestepped the crashing stream of water as it was freed from the iron's presence. A moment after that, something hard hit him in the back. He fell to the ground and staggered to find an arrow in his back. He looked at Glenna with a perplexed expression. "You're easily fooled, aren't you?" she asked with a bitter laugh. "You humans really can't tell a difference." Her body, which had seemed normal, slowly turned to a black color. She reminded Link of the Dark Link from the Forest Temple. "I'm just an embodiment of Zant's twilight magic. You couldn't even tell that I wasn't your friend. How sad."

He pulled the arrow out of his back and fell to one knee. "Zant sent you to kill me?"

"Don't take it so personally. Not just you. You and your friend," answered the Twilit Glenna as she approached Link and grabbed something off the ground. "But, really, I've said too much, so... enjoy! Gotta go." Her body disappeared into twilight fragments, and Link was left alone. But not completely. Something stepped out of the shadows of the room and, before Link knew it, he was approached by a Zora that looked much different than the other Zoras he had seen appearance-wise. Her body was long and lean. Fins hung from her waist, looking like a small, shimmering blue skirt. Long fins hung from her forearms, which also looked like the flowing part of a gown. Her head was shaped like a thick fish head with a beady black eye on either side of the top of her head. She stared at Link with big indigo eyes.

Smiling, the Zora said, "You look just like him, you know. But I know you can't be him. He made his choice but, then again, I guess he could've never come back to me, anyway. Anyway, I'm rambling and you need help! I'm Ruto," she added before stopping before Link with her back turned. "Hey, make this easier on me and climb up. I'll carry you." **(A/n: That's a change!) **He did as she asked. "Okay, leave it to me. I'll get you back to your friend."

**XxX**

Glenna had just passed through the main chamber and was satisfied to see that the water level was high enough for them to reach the door leading to the main monster's room. But they still needed the key to the room... She returned to the room with the bridge that held a particularly large and deep pool of water. According to the map, there was a chest in the river, and it was the last of the chests in the dungeon. Therefore, it had to be the key that they needed.

She realized that she needed to stop taking off her armor; it was so time-consuming to change back and forth. Once she had the armor back on, she looked around. It was odd, but she had the feeling in the hub room that someone was following her, and the feeling had yet to go away. Maybe it was that person/ghost that had moved the staircase and sent water into the hub room. Hopefully, it was just a persistent enemy that would give up once she was in the water. Or, even more hopefully, it was nothing and no one/nothing had just seen her change. With something reminiscent of eagerness, she climbed over the side of the bridge and dropped into the current below. The cold was easy to get used to, but the current easily pushed her around.

Frustrated, Glenna found herself wishing that she had the Iron Boots and Link did not. She pulled up the veil and dove under the water, and her heart skipped a beat. Now that she was in the water, she recalled that she had noticed the faint outlines of Bari earlier, and there were many of them floating about. Her eyes fell on a small rock pedestal at the very bottom, and she noted about five Bari hovering around it. "Of all the treasure chests in all of the dungeons, this one had to be mine to deal with," she grumbled. There was no way around it; she had to swim right into the Bari-concentrated area for that key. Glenna had nothing that would allow her to deal with them aside from a thick resolve to come bouncing back each time she was electric-shocked.

She swam toward the chest, evading what Bari she could, and slowly came up the side of the pedestal. All five of the Bari noticed her at the same time and rushed toward her. Glenna quickly opened the chest and pulled out the large key. One of the tentacles wrapped around her arm and gave her the shock of her lifetime. It also caused her to drop the key to the bottom of the river. She quickly recovered and retrieved the key. Strangely enough, when she looked up, all of the Bari were gone.

Glenna returned to the bridge, climbing up some vines growing beside it to climb back up. She rang out her hair and dress before turning back to the south door in order to return to the main chamber where she was supposed to meet Link. "Hey, Glenna, nice handling out there. You're welcome for the help, by the way." Her eyebrows knitted together as she attempted to register the voice in her head. Clearly, whoever it was knew her but the voice was feminine with a fairly soprano-ish pitch, and she did not recognize it. When she turned around, she found herself face to face with a shadowy version of herself and, most importantly, a particularly sharp arrow. "There was no point in helping you. If the Bari had finished you, I guess it might have been for the better, but I was made for a reason, after all."

The shadows meant only one thing. "Zant, huh? Man, he must really think Link and I are pretty good if he has to make his own puppet to finish us off."

"Puppet?"

Glenna looked her twilit self up and down and attempted to keep her facial expression as blank as possible. Honestly, it was not that difficult; she was quite adjusted to hiding her feelings. "I'm sort of flattered that he used me to do it, too. Its kind of nice to see a reflection of myself, albeit a shadowy, odd one."

"Shut up," growled the shadow.

Glenna blinked her eyes dolefully. "So, what? You finished off Link and... stole his Clawshot?" she added upon noticing the clawed mechanic on the copy's hand.

Twilit Glenna nodded. "I shot him in the back with an arrow and left him to die."

Glenna was taken aback by the answer. Somehow, she had expected that she would be the one hunted down first. Then again, who was the bigger threat to Zant? "But you didn't kill him?"

A sneer. _'Is that what I look like? Man,' _thought Glenna as the copy spoke again. "You shouldn't be so hopeful like that. He couldn't have moved on his own. He's very much dead by now. I could tell you where to find his body, but you won't be alive much longer, either." Dark Glenna paused as she thought of something. "Zant said it would be a waste of a great ability, but he doesn't want you around, particularly after killing Link." Glenna nodded, trying to take the news in as an unbiased reporter would. Of course Zant could not allow the changeling to live. That would be the worst for him.

_'Glenna, if you give yourself to death right now, I will bring you back to life and kill you,' _growled Midna in her mind.

Midna was stupid if she thought that Glenna would give up everything without a fight. Hearing about Link was heartbreaking, but she still had to save Zelda. Only when that was done would she be satisfied. Glenna unsheathed her sword and quickly knocked the shadow's feet from beneath her with a spin attack. The Clawshot flew off the shadow's hand as she hit the ground and slid right into Glenna's boot. Glenna grabbed it and ran past the copy. Her first instinct had been to leave the magical being behind, but a quickly aimed arrow shot into her left leg stopped her.

Glenna pulled the arrow out of her leg as another one was pointed at her heart. She quickly aimed the Clawshot at the shadowy bow and yanked it out of her other's hand. Much to her surprise, the bow had mass and clattered nosily to the floor. Twilit Glenna recovered quickly and pulled out a sword that was also the carbon copy of Glenna's. Glenna took advantage of the moment it took for her to recover and stabbed her in the stomach with her blade. As she attempted to pull the sword out, the copy used her sword to stab Glenna in the chest. She staggered before falling to the ground. Midna resurfaced from her shadow and shook her head as a ball of energy began to form between her hands. It shot into the shadow and destroyed her promptly.

The shadowy sword disappeared from Glenna's chest and she sat up. Midna floated before her. "You okay?"

"Well, she missed my heart," answered Glenna as she looked down at the blood that was slowly appearing on the front of her white dress. "So that's good. But, I guess, I have to find that Fused Shadow, so..."

Midna managed a grin at that. "Wow, Blondie. I'm impressed. ...Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy about Link, but..." There was a moment of silence before she cleared her throat and disappeared into Glenna's shadow once more.

**XxX**

"So, your friend isn't here..." trailed off Ruto as she looked around the chamber for any sign of movement except from that of the Skullfish or Tektites. She set Link on the ground and pursed her lips. "You know, some of the Sages are really cool and powerful. Not me. There's nothing I can do for you... Though, I did open the other gate and help you raise the water level!" Silence passed and Ruto knew that she was losing the hero fast.

It was hard to look at him, especially at the pained expression on his face. Too much, it reminded her of that other hero's face, and she definitely did not want to think about him-

Then, one of the doors slid open and slammed shut a few feet away. With blood soaking her chest, Glenna quickly noticed Link and the Zora and ran toward them. She slid to a stop over him before her legs collapsed beneath her. "This is why we shouldn't split up," breathed Glenna as she dug for a blue chu jelly in her pack. She pulled it out and Ruto helped sit Link up a little. After pouring it down his throat, the wound on Link's back healed completely. Glenna looked at the Zora with a surprised expression. "At this point, seeing you shouldn't be such a shock but... Thank you."

Ruto nodded as Glenna drank enough milk to fix the wounds. "You met the others? I wonder if I'll see them soon, too." Link made to stand, and both women helped him up.

After dusting off his knees, Link turned toward the Zora. "Thanks for your help."

Ruto simply smiled and shook her head as her violet eyes disappeared beneath blue eyelids. "You don't need to thank me. I was more than happy to. It was almost like he was… back, you know?" Her eyes reopened and her calm expression turned to one of embarrassment. "Sorry. Anyway… See you, I guess." Her body became illuminated with blue light before disappearing into nothing.

Link turned toward Glenna next, who was playing with the Clawshot. "That was a sage?" She nodded. "But she seemed to-"

Glenna smirked. "You'll never figure it out on your own, so let me explain; I read about this in one of the Castle's books. There were, supposedly, seven sages, one for each region who looked after a part of Hyrule. You know of Saria, I guess, because of the area you were raised in. There were more. It is said that the sages were once awoken to their true potential by a hero, but many do not believe the hero ever existed. In fact, most people do not believe there were seven stages because each group kept their sage's identity a secret to outsiders, for obvious reasons.

"In another book about a supposed hero who transpired time, it was said that the hero, as a boy, received a Zora's sapphire from the princess of the Zoras. But that sapphire was more like an engagement ring, which the hero did not know. As for Saria, it is said that the hero was raised as a Kokiri and was friends with her. Apparently, he knew all of the sages…" She trailed off and shrugged. "It's all speculation, especially the bit about the "Hero of Time" but obviously the sages are real. The hero was supposed to look something like you, though, so if Saria and Ruto were a little deterred by your appearance, that would be why."

Link's eyebrows drew together. "I look like him?"

Glenna tapped the side of her cheek. "Hey, you know what I've noticed? You've never said a thing about your parents before, so-"

Midna popped out of the shadows with what Link considered perfect timing. "You can delve into each other's pasts more once we get the last Fused Shadow. Let's get a move on!"

Glenna grumbled but did not say another word about it. She and Link walked to the edge of the floor and looked down at the deep pond below. There was a particularly large door on the pillar, and they could definitely get to it by swimming. Link glanced at her. "Ladies first?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're such a gentleman." Glenna took a few, tiny, tentative steps before jumping off the edge. Water splashed upwards as she plunged into the water, diving underwater because of the height of the drop. When she resurfaced, her dress billowing around her, she pushed her hair out of her eyes and waved. "Come on in. The water's fine!"

Link shook his head. "How you can joke at a time like this is amazing to me…" As he pulled up his veil and prepared to jump, he noticed Glenna flailing around in the water. He stopped. "What's wrong?"

Glenna was attempting to use her sword with one hand and tread water at the same time and, needless to say, it was not working. After a moment, she resheathed her sword and started for the platform. "There's something in this water, and whatever it is…" She pulled herself out of the water and noticed red marks and blood on her skin. "…There's something in the water."

"What?" demanded Link.

She did not answer immediately, instead looking into the water. Sure enough, there were skeletal fish swimming around in the water, just waiting for her to get back in. "…Ah. Skull fish…" Glenna looked back up at him. "Well, there's no way around it, but the armor should protect you pretty well. Jump in."

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? I'm not fighting whatever dark beast is beyond that door by myself!" Glenna knew she did not have to say those words: Link had a very good sense of right and wrong, and he would never leave her to do that sort of thing by herself. She relaxed, recalling that, just moments ago, he had been on the verge of death. "…Sorry, sorry. I got a little excited. You stay up there and gather some courage while I get changed. No peeking!"

She walked to the other side of the pillar, watching as the school of Skullfish followed her direction as she did so. She shivered as she took her dress off (for the last time, she vowed) and began changing into the Zora armor. Above, she heard Link and Midna speaking, but in hushed tones so that she could not make out what they were saying. Her eyes narrowed a little as she attempted to hear them better, but it made no difference. If she was in wolf form, it would be a different story.

She heard a large splash followed by smaller ones. Then, Link came around the corner and Glenna immediately turned toward him. She immediately folded her arms over her chest (though she was already wearing the gill-like tunic part) and her cheeks turned red. At her reaction, Link's cheeks also became somewhat pink. "H-hey, you surprised me! Don't you know that you should wait until I tell you it's okay?"

"W-well, it's not like you're half-naked!" he shouted back.

Glenna's cheeks darkened. "I _could _have been." When she had still lived at home, her sisters had never worried about such a thing. Likely because they were all sisters, and their father had been 'trained' by their mother to wait until he knew that the coast was clear. But now was not the time to think about such things. She turned away from him and picked up the small blue over shirt before putting it on. From Link's shadow, Midna giggled. "Shut up, Midna."

Link's eyes were burning into her back; she could feel them. With a sigh, she turned around and faced him. "Is something… wrong?"

"Yeah, but it's just that you have no sense, no big," she replied icily.

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'm sorry. Can we forget that happened? Remember, I thought you shot me in the back with an arrow, so…" Her expression became livid for a brief moment, and he raised his hands. "…And that's definitively not your fault." He rubbed the back of his head. "Alright, now I'm _really _sorry. Let's forget all of that. Rewind. Okay. Somehow, we just got here but already have the key for the monster's room. Isn't that great? Let's go kill it."

For a moment, it looked like she was going to yell again, then her expression changed, and she laughed. "…I guess you have more sense. Okay. Sorry. Let's go."

Link nodded and grin. "Thanks." Then, he unlocked the large lock, making it (and its chains) crash to the ground.

"Let's get 'er… well, probably him… Let's get 'im done!" remarked Glenna as they started through the doorway. _'I really wonder about you sometimes, Blondie.' _ The room was simply that. A room with a gaping hole in the center. Link and Glenna stared down the hole but could only see darkness. "That's somewhat fear-evoking."

"It's got to be water," decided Link as he took a few steps backwards. "But to make sure…" He grabbed a piece of stone that had chipped off the wall and threw it into the water. There was a definite splash. "That clears that up. Let's go." Link pulled up his veil and made to jump into the water, halting his efforts when Glenna grabbed his arm. "Huh?"

"Wait. It's really dark in there, which means that that's deep water… which means that there's probably a really disgusting monster down there. We really can't skip over this?" Glenna looked back into the darkness. "It's _really _dark."

"Blondie," said Midna from Link's shadow, "it's too late to run away and be afraid. Besides, I _need _this Fused Shadow."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

Glenna held up her right hand and put together her thumb and pointer finger. "Maybe just this much."

"It can't be that bad. Let's just get it over with, it's inevitable," reasoned Link before jumping into the water. After a moment, Glenna begrudgingly followed.

**XxX**

They had to move all the way to the bottom of the water chamber before there was any light. Glenna found herself wondering how it had been so dark from the room above and, yet, the bottom was illuminated by some pale blue light. Strange. _'Probably magic,' _she reasoned out. Glenna swam around and examined the chamber. There were pillars, some of which were still standing though the majority had fallen, and tiled walls. Seaweed and some other plants were springing up from the sand, but, for the life of her, she could not find any monster. "Maybe, instead of fighting a monster, we'll just find the Fused Shadow buried somewhere in here!"

"I'm not so sure about that. The Zoras said the temple was becoming overrun by monsters and evil. Wouldn't the monsters need some sort of source of evil?" wondered Link.

Glenna nodded. "Sure, the Fused Shadow!"

"…I don't know…" Link, wearing his Iron Boots, noticed something laying in the sand. It was red and was moving back and forth somewhat. "Hm." He walked toward it and kicked it with his boot. The ground began to shake, and he backed off as a pink tentacle stretched from somewhere beneath and imprisoned the eye within. More tentacles reached up from under the sand and, finally, the chamber had a final violent tremor as a scaly head (complete with sharp teeth) lifted itself up.

Glenna returned to Link's side. "See what I meant? Gross." He chose to ignore her as he unsheathed his sword. They both watched, in silence, as the eyeball floated to the top of one tentacle from the other. "Well, that's no so difficult." Link glanced at her and awaited an explanation. Instead, she threw him the Clawshot. "Go crazy."

His eyebrows furrowed together as he put on the Clawshot, trying to understand what she was getting at. After watching the eye for a little longer, he understood. "Grab the eye."

"And I'll slash it into bits and pieces," chirped Glenna too cheerfully. Link aimed at the eye but had a time grabbing it at first; it was not as easy as it looked. When he finally grabbed it, the Clawshot released it before he and Glenna. She immediately started in on it with him following suit as soon as he had his wits about him.

The eye rolled back over to the beast and, despite their best efforts, they could not get it back. Suddenly, a cloud of Skullfish rose up from beneath the sand. "You've got to be kidding me," grunted Link as they began to defend themselves and attack the killer fish.

"It's just a distraction," pointed out Glenna. "Leave it to me. Ouch! Get that damn eye!"

Link nodded and used the Clawshot to grab the amber-colored eye again. He slashed at it some more and, just when he was about to stab his sword into it as a final blow, a tentacle grabbed it. Then, the monster disappeared beneath the sand. Glenna, who had finished off the Skullfish, floated up behind him and looked around. "That's… it? That was easy!"

"I don't think so." The ground began to tremble once more, but it was ten times stronger than before. Out of the same somewhat depressed sand pit that the tentacles and head had poked out of before, the head re-emerged. This time, however, it kept moving until the whole body was out.

The 'tentacles' were not so much tentacles but some sort of feelers jutting off around the head. It was a gigantic, eel-like creature, appearing to be, at least, fifty feet tall. Glenna's eyebrows furrowed together and her mouth dropped open. "I think… I'm going to faint."

"No time," argued Link as he quickly took off the boots. "You can faint once this thing's dead." Then, he kicked off the sand and started upward as Morpheel swam around the chamber, completely ignoring them. Once she got herself together, Glenna followed suit and swam beside the beast while Link hovered in front of it and searched for its weak spot. Morpheel opened its large mouth and began to suck in water and bits of seaweed, but it was obvious what its goal was.

Glenna stabbed her sword into its side, making it screech and halting the attack. "Note to Link: It is unwise to swim in front of a monster that has such a large mouth." She kept her sword lodged into the eel's side as it tried its best to shake her off and noticed something sticking out of its back. An eye was staring at her.

Morpheel rammed into a pillar, and Glenna and her sword were finally shaken off. "I think I found its extreme weak point, but stabbing it just about anywhere seems to do pretty well."

"Spoken like a true hero. What is it?"

"That eye… is somehow on its back now. I don't get it, either," she added before he could ask about the state of her sanity. Morpheel swam around a pillar and opened its mouth as it came at them. "We probably shouldn't talk about this here." She grabbed his arm and they swam out of harm's way.

Link stared at his Clawshot, then at Morpheel. "If I could grab the eye before… I wonder if I can latch on now…?"

Glenna half-shrugged. "Go for it! I'll hang on…" She snapped. "I got it!"

"…That's never good."

She ignored him and dove down to swim alongside Morpheel for a second time. With one hand, she seized one of the feelers (which, despite its appearance, did not electrocute her) and began stabbing it in the side. Morpheel screeched and groaned. "Hurry, Link!" As he had expected, the Clawshot latched right onto the eye, once he got the timing down right. While Glenna stabbed it in the side repeatedly, Link stabbed the eye.

With a final unnatural growl, Morpheel tried to shake them off… but did not think the ploy through. Link and Glenna released it as the overgrown eel rammed itself into the wall. A large crack formed in the wall, and all of the water was drained from the room. They landed, safely, onto the sandy ground and watched as Morpheel's body dissolved into darkness, leaving behind only the last piece of the Fused Shadow.

Glenna pulled down her veil and rang out her hair. "Wow. I think that was our most successful fight yet!"

"Considering how difficult the rest of the temple was, I think it was a pretty fair trade off," remarked Link.

She nodded. "True enough. How's your back?"

"It's fine, it's perfect… I just keep feeling like I should have some sort of wound, still," he muttered.

Midna sprang from his shadow and floated toward the Fused Shadow, picking it up with a large (and non-creepy) grin on her face. "This is it, the final Fused Shadow!" She turned back toward the hylians. "Look, I know I've put you two through a lot… So, I should thank you. I really _do _appreciate what you've done for me… And I really needed these Fused Shadows! With them, I can finally put Zant in his place, and that's something I'm _really _looking forward to you."

"You know, we still know next to nothing about you. You wanna let us in a little bit?" asked Glenna.

"Eee hee hee! Maybe." Then, their bodies disappeared into fragments of twilight.

**XxX**

Link and Glenna reappeared in Lanayru's Spring. She immediately moved down the slope and crouched down to throw some water on her face. The purity of it made her feel ten times better; she almost felt like running laps. Almost. Once she felt substantial once more, Glenna stood. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she blinked as she looked back into the water. Strange. For a moment, she had thought she had seen the reflection of someone else.

Once they were outside, they found that the sky was somewhat dark but beginning to lighten up. "We were in there for a while," yawned Glenna. "It was pretty confusing, though, so I guess I understand."

Midna popped out of her shadow and allowed the pieces of the Fused Shadow to float around her before disappearing to wherever she kept her stuff. Her eyes were fixed in the direction of the Gerudo desert. "We're finally done. Now all we have to do is…" She turned back toward Link and Glenna and folded her arms over her chest. "Hey, listen. I know I said I only needed you for getting all of the Fused Shadows, but that may have been a little lie… I need to get to a mirror known as the Mirror of the Twilight, but I don't know how to get there, so I'm going to need you," her eyes fell on Link, "for a little longer."

Glenna raised an eyebrow and pointed to her chest. "And me?"

"You, Blondie, are free to do whatever you want now. I appreciate all of the good laughs, but I don't need you anymore."

"What about Zelda?"

Midna put her hands on her hips. "Boy, you sure do have to make things _difficult_, don't you? Listen, I need to get back… so I can take care of Zant. If he's not a moron, then he should have noticed by now that his spell over this world has been lifted. He'll leave your princess."

"So, I'm being dumped from the group?"

"Well, I don't really need the extra baggage. Sorry for dragging you around Hyrule, Blondie, but that's it." She smirked. "What's wrong? You seem almost disappointed."

Glenna half-shrugged. "Maybe a little," she agreed. "Weird. My life will almost be normal again. Well, as normal as my life gets."

Link was remaining uncharacteristically quiet, which gave Glenna a good idea of what he and Midna had been speaking of in hushed tones earlier. "And _you_ can go back to being a goat herder once I'm through with you. How boring." She floated back between the two hylians. "But we won't leave or start looking for leads until tomorrow. Today, we can relax," decided Midna before disappearing into Link's shadow.

"She must be pretty exhausted to be saying that."

Link stifled a yawn. "Sure, I can understand that since she was fighting a giant eel. But she has all of the power she needs now. No rush, I guess. So… Telma's?"

Glenna nodded. "Telma's," she agreed. "I hope she came back from Kakariko…" She trailed off as she recalled something else. "Hey, Midna never told us anything."

Link shrugged. "Yeah, well… some people don't like to tell others about their past. She never tried to kill us and seems to like us, so whatever's in her past doesn't matter."

She pursed her lips. Naturally, she agreed with the talking about one's past bit but not the rest. "But what if whatever's in her past is important. She knows Zant, doesn't she?"

"She's a twili."

"I'm a hylian, and I didn't know you until I met you," argued Glenna.

Link had to admit that she was right. "Alright, yeah, I get it but it can't be that important. Let's talk about this later. All I want to do is sleep."

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**A/n: That's it for this chapter! Yeah, I really shortened the temple but… I just could not stand having to write it. xD' Hence why it took so long to get the previous chapter up. Anyway, I mentioned last chapter's ReDead scene came from a movie. That movie was the Haunted Mansion, a scene from the Mausoleum. Best scene ever. I love that movie. ****J**** Hope you enjoyed! **


	20. Departures

**Chapter Twenty:  
**Departures **  
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**A/n: So, I planned it all out (I know, shocking, isn't it?) and I do believe Arbiter's Grounds (despite being, oddly enough, my favorite dungeon) is going to be shortened and changed, like the Lakebed Temple. I hope that doesn't hurt you too terribly much. Also! I am going to have a dire need for reviews… You'll see why in my ending note. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Zelda!**

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As Zelda entered the throne room, she had a plan in mind. It was a plan that made her heart beat faster and her legs want to shake, but she tried to keep good posture as she entered the room with monsters on either side of her.

Zant was lazily lounged in the throne with two guards on either side of him. His yellow eyes (much like a cat, thought Zelda) seemed to pierce right through her and see into her thoughts. "Ah, Zelda, nice of you to come."

"I had a choice?" asked Zelda with a fine eyebrow raised. "And that's _Princess _Zelda, to you," she added with all the bitterness that had been storing up in her since everything had begun.

She knew there would not be much time. In fact, she wasn't sure this would even work. The guards stepped before Zelda when she arrived on the stairs, but Zant waved them away. "She is unarmed; she cannot harm me." Such arrogance. The guards did, however, stand dangerously close to her. Not great, but she could deal.

"You underestimate me, Zant."

"That's _King _Zant, _Princess_," remarked Zant icily.

Zelda shook her head. "Your time as 'King', if that's what you'd like to call it, is running short." Zant stood up from his seat.

"Is that so?"

"It _is _so." Zelda closed her eyes briefly, then dropped her arms forward as if she were setting something down. As it happened, she was. Fire spread around her body and killed some of the guards while knocking away the others. Even Zant was close enough to get singed.

"Wh-what…?" He sounded concerned, which nearly made Zelda's heart soar.

"As I said, you underestimate my power. Now…" Again, Zelda closed her eyes, and this time raised her arms into the air, slowly letting them drop to her arms. As she did this, a green crystal appeared around shouted for guards, but Zelda's body was already disappearing.

She reappeared at the gates of the castle. After pulling her scarf and hood up, she tore out of the courtyard and into town.

**XxxxxX**

Sunlight was blazing through the small space that the curtains did not cover as Glenna rolled in the direction of the window. It had been a very, very long time since she had slept in this long, and, admittedly, she sort of liked it. Then again, that was probably the exhaustion talking. She rolled away from the window and stared at the floor, where Link was curled up under a couple quilts. Telma had been MIA last night, which had not been a huge tragedy as Ashei and the others had been in.

_After dragging themselves out of the Lake, up the paths (while attempting to avoid the monsters that gathered at night), and finally to Castle Town, they found the town empty. It was not unusual, as it was night, but they had been surprised when they reached the alley with Telma's bar. A few men, and a woman, had been sitting outside of the bar. Link, unsure of what to expect, drew his sword._

_ Otherwise, they pretended that the group was not gathered and started for the door. "'ey, I rec'nize you. You live her an' are friends with the Princess!" One of them men had exclaimed in what could only be called a drunken slur." _

_"I do, and I kind of am, yeah," she replied simply without looking at him as she patted her dress and pack for a key. _

_"Telma must like you, then!" reasoned the woman as she staggered to her feet. "So, uh, why don' you let us in and get us some drinks. We'll pay, I swear." The men chuckled._

_ Glenna rolled her eyes. "Mm. I'm sorry, I understand it must be difficult not to feed your addiction, but-"_

_ "Well, those people inside won't serve us! What are they doin' in there if they don' work as bartenders?" demanded another man. The woman walked toward Glenna and put a hand on her shoulder. Link tensed and began to inch his sword forward._

_ She shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she told him before turning toward the woman. Her eyes narrowed, and the woman removed her hand but did not move. "I highly suggest that you gather someone else and beg someone else for alcohol because I'm exhausted and have no intention of dealing with you drunkards. Got it?"_

_ "'ey, you can't talk to us like that!" reasoned the first man._

_ Glenna drew the Kokiri Sword from somewhere and waved it at the woman, who finally backed off. "Wanna bet?" She immediately cringed at her own choice of words._

_ "Yeah, yeah, we'll get lost… Le's go," ordered the first man of the others. Soon enough, the group was gone. _

_ Glenna knocked on the door. "If you don't want to meet my sword, I suggest leaving," a thick-accented voice remarked calmly. She immediately recognized it as Ashei's._

_ "Ashei, it's Glenna. Could you please let me in?" _

_ Link was staring at her. "You were calm." _

_ She looked back at him, her eyes threatening to close. "Hm? Oh, no, not really. It happens sometimes. Those guys were regulars when I was a little younger. Eventually, Telma stopped serving them because they drank too much and got rowdy in the bar and on the town. They still stop by every once in a while to see if she's changed her mind. She never does. It used to scare me but once I realized waving around a blade of some sort scared them, it stopped concerning me." Glenna slumped against the door. "Ashei…!" Link said nothing and continued to simply stare at her._

_ When the door opened, Glenna nearly fell to the floor. "Glenna, you're still impatient, yeah?" The way Ashei said it suggested that she had expected her being gone for so long would have changed her mannerisms._

_ "A little," agreed Glenna. "Where's Telma?" _

_ "Still in Kakariko," answered Shad as he readjusted his glasses. "People are getting rowdy, I do hope she comes back soon…" _

_ Glenna smiled a little. "Why not serve liquor?"_

_ Shad held up his hands. "Oh, no, I'm not dealing with those people…"_

_ "Of course not." Glenna rubbed her eyes and glanced back at Link to find him standing farther back and petting Louise. "Oh, right. This is Link. Link, this is the little, er…"_

_ "'The Resistance'," remarked Auru, who regarded Link with suspicion. In fact, most of the group was watching him carefully and not with kind eyes. That is, except four the fourth member. Glenna had never seen him before, she did not think; it was hard to tell because he was wearing a helmet that hid his face. No one introduced themselves; she felt very awkward. Then, Auru turned toward Glenna and his expression reverted to its usual kindness. "You have been gone for quite some time. Before Telma left, she was worried about you."_

_ Glenna nodded. "Yes, I was following Princess Zelda's orders…"_

_ "But Hyrule fell shortly after you left," reasoned Ashei. _

_ "Yeah… it's complicated." She rubbed the back of her head. "Anyway, technically, I'm still following her orders."_

_ Auru appeared troubled. "No one has seen her… No one knows if she is well…"_

_ "Those damn soldiers," grunted Ashei. "They're too spineless to even check on their own princess, their commander. Foolishness." _

_ Glenna narrowed her eyes. "Hm, if only that surprised me. She has some good guards, though. One in particular. I'm sure they've stayed with her." She believed the statement with all her being… but she knew that any guards that had been in the castle when Zant invaded were no longer alive. _

_ "You seem to know things we don't, yeah?" _

_ "Maybe, but I doubt it. It's mostly speculation," lied Glenna. "Anyway, Link and I are extremely tired from carrying out Zelda's orders, so-"_

_ Shad stared at her. "Telma only has two bedrooms."_

_ "While I'm quite curious as to how you know that, I must agree that, yes, she does." _

_ Ashei pointed at Link. "Where will he be sleeping?"_

_As if it were the most obvious answer in the world, Glenna replied, slowly, "My room…" _

_ "That is foolishness!" argued Shad. "What would Telma say?"_

_ "She would say 'I don't want a mostly strange boy sleeping in my bedroom. Have him sleep on your floor.'" Telma knew Link and appreciated that he had assisted her in getting to Kakariko Village. She would not care if he was going to sleep in Glenna's room. "Anyway, tired…"_

_ "What orders are you following exactly?" wondered Auru. It was simple curiosity, Glenna could tell by his tone._

_ Glenna nodded. "We've been checking out some temples here and there."_

_ "…Is that so?" It seemed like the older man was going to say more, but the moment passed and he said no more. "Pleasant sleep to you Glenna."_

_ Ashei raised an eyebrow, and Shad looked like he was going to have a heart attack as Glenna and Link moved toward the bedrooms. "Be good!" shouted Shad. _

Yes, that had been sufficiently awkward. Glenna flipped onto her back once more and stared up at the ceiling. She felt as though she needed to do something - especially to go check out the castle, yet… Midna suddenly appeared over her, startling the heck out of her. "Midna!" Her hand flew to her chest. "Don't do that. You nearly scared me to death!"

Midna cackled. "I'm going to miss having you around, Blondie."

"What's goin' on?" came Link's groggy voice as he sat up and stared at them.

"Midna was just trying her hand at killing me one more time, no big deal," answered Glenna as she rose from the bed. "You know, I think we should go to Kakariko and check on the kids, Ilia, and Prince Ralis."

Link, who had opted to sleep in his Ordon outfit (but without a shirt), nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Sure, just give me a few minutes to get ready."

"Same here," she replied, "but I think I'll do that in Telma's room."

**XxX**

Once they reached Hyrule Field, something amazing happened. Link picked up a bit of grass and played something resembling a song. That was amazing in itself, but the truly amazing thing was that, after a moment, Epona appeared out of virtually nowhere and ran towards them. "Wow! How did you do that? Can you teach me? Can you teach Avianna?" demanded Glenna as Link helped her onto his mare.

Link chuckled. "After I help Midna. Deal?"

"Deal. I'm holding you to it, Link!" They rode off in the general direction of Kakariko with Glenna shooting down the throngs of Bulbins that shot at them as they moved through the fields. "Huh, that's funny."

He looked back at her. "What?"

"There used to be a lot more Bulbins here, but there's definitely a decrease in number. I wonder what could cause that?"

"A change in orders from the big guy?" suggested Link.

Glenna half-shrugged. "Always a possibility…" She said no more about the subject, but it remained in the back of her mind. It bothered her quite a bit. When they entered the village (via the northern entrance) a loud voice hollered, "Link and Glenna are back!" Despite its volume, the voice obviously belonged to Talo. Link slowed Epona to a trot as he and Glenna waved up to the boy who was perched all the way at the top of the watch tower.

It seemed to take only a few moments before Colin came bounding up to him. Glenna was slightly surprised not to see the others until recalling that Malo and Talo both had jobs to carry out. Link and Glenna dismounted Epona, and he began to lead the mare to the spring as Colin walked with them. "Guys! It's so good to see you again. Guess what? Ralis is doing a lot better!"

"Is he?" asked Link, who was clearly pleased. Glenna's eyes wandered to Beth's form, who was standing beside the Sanctuary with her eyes in the direction of the cemetery.

"Yeah, but…" Colin lowered his eyes to the ground. "Once he was feeling better, he left and went into the cemetery. He doesn't really come out of there. Everyone's worried about him."

Glenna nodded. "I bet he knows about his mother," she mumbled quietly enough that Colin would not hear her. He inclined his head in agreement.

"I think someone should talk to him," hinted Colin.

"I would be more than happy to," remarked Glenna before turning to Link. "Link, you should go check in on Ilia. See how her memory is?"

In response, Colin slowly shook his head and brought his eyes to the dusty ground once more. "She… doesn't remember me."

Link put a hand on Colin's shoulder. "It's going to take some time, but she'll be back to normal in no time."

"Maybe someone should talk to her father. And, by someone, I mean you, Link," suggested Glenna. "He'd want to know. I mean, if he finds out, he might want her to come home…" She shrugged. "It's your choice. Anyway, I'm going to see Ralis." Then, she walked in the direction of the cemetery.

As she passed Beth, the girl stopped her. "Wait! Are you going to the cemetery?"

"…That's the plan." Eve though Beth had obviously changed since being captured, Glenna still wasn't quite so fond of her. She and the boys had been outrageously mean to Colin back in Ordon, and it really angered her. "Why?"

"That Zora boy, every morning he gets up and goes straight into the graveyard. He doesn't talk to anyone, not ever. All I've ever heard out of him is a thank you or two for Renado during dinner!" huffed Beth. "It's really weird."

Glenna smiled. She supposed Beth was young still and did not quite understand some things. "He's been through a lot, he lost his mother, and he's in a strange place where he doesn't know anyone. He just needs time."

"But he'll never get to know us if he doesn't talk to us!"

"Everyone's strange to him, so I'm sure he's at least a little shy. Just take it slow and give him time. Try to be friendly, or at least nice. You might be surprised at the result."

Beth nodded her head slowly. "Okay… Hm, you know, you're pretty smart!"

Glenna decided that she just might like Beth after all. "Why, thank you, Beth. Now, don't forget what I told you." And, with that, she disappeared beyond the cemetery's archway.

Meanwhile, Link and Colin entered the Sanctuary to find Renado… and Renado alone. "Hey, Renado. Where's Telma?"

Renado scrunched his nose up in obvious dislike. "That wretched woman? Blessedly, she took her leave a little while ago."

Link fought back a chuckle. "About Ilia…"

Renado nodded. "Of course. Ilia's memory is gone, yes, but I do believe it can be restored. I am just unsure of how at the moment. Give me time, Link, and I will find something. At any rate, I believe Ilia is by the spring."

"Thank you." At that, Link took his leave. He knew that he should not have gotten his hopes up, but he couldn't help it. Ilia was his best friend. When he started for the spring, he did not see Ilia.

"Try the ledge overlooking the spring, Link," suggested Colin. "Anyway, I'm gonna go see if I can help Luda. Come say goodbye before you leave!" Then, he disappeared into the Inn, leaving Link to enter the 'secret' cave beside the spring.

As he walked up toward the small ledge, Avon, coming from the opposite direction, stopped to talk to him. "Link! You guys are back! …Or, is it just you?"

"Glenna's in the cemetery," assured Link. "Is Ilia up there?"

Avon nodded. "Mmhm, I was just talking to her. She's a really sweet girl, you know?" She paused and tilted her head to the side. "Hey, is she your childhood friend? Your best friend?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't know that right now."

"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't hit a nerve." Avon bit down on her lip. What else could she say to Link? "I'm sure things will turn out. If Glenna is… relatively normal, then I'm sure that Ilia can regain her memory."

Link nodded. "I'm sure you're right. Thanks, Avon."

"Anytime, Hero."

He continued through the cave until reaching the small ledge that overlooked a deeper part of the spring. Sure enough, he found Ilia perched on the ledge, her green eyes focused on the water below her. She looked so peaceful that he hardly wanted to disturb her. In fact, Link was not even sure what he was going to say. "Ilia?"

His voice made her jump, and he instinctively reached out to steady her. As his fingers gripped around her small wrist, he felt a pressing need to hold her; it reminded him of when they were children. But Link controlled himself and released her wrist as she studied him with a somewhat nervous expression. It was strange to look in her eyes and not see any recognition. "Oh, Link… I don't think I got the chance to properly thank you before. But… the others have told me so much about you, like what a great herder you are. And your horse, Epona, is so sweet. I've… groomed her a few times, I hope you don't mind," she looked a little nervous and a faint blush was on her cheeks. "When I'm around her, I feel like… I don't know. I just feel really good and nostalgic, but I don't know why."

Link could tell her why, of course, but it seemed obvious that he was not supposed to force her memories on her. "Yeah, you can groom Epona anytime you want. That would make me feel better, really, about leaving her here."

Ilia blinked. "Really? Anytime?" She smiled. "You're great, thank you! She's such a sweet horse, too. You obviously take really great care of her." It was beyond amazing to see her smile once more; it almost seemed like Ilia was back to her old self. Or, at least, it would have seemed that way if her eyes didn't observe him warily or if he couldn't sense her sadness.

**XxX**

Ralis was not standing outside in the cemetery, which was good because the Guay were quite territorial. Glenna crawled through the small tunnel and knew she would find the Zora prince before getting out. He was standing before his father's grave with his eyes somewhat glazed over. "Prince Ralis?"

The Zora slowly turned around and "Glenna, it's been so long… I had a dream where I saw you, a man around your age, and my mother… She said you and the man helped me… and her." If only that last statement was completely true. "I owe you and him, Link, my life. Thank you so very much. If you ever need anything, let me know and I will try my best to help."

Glenna inclined her head. "Thank you, but I just wanted to know how you were doing. Much better since last I saw you, obviously."

Ralis smiled but only for a moment. He almost reminded her of Zelda. Zelda did not often smile because, so often, she was plagued by fears of failure and she was always worrying about what else she could do for Hyrule. "Yes, I am well… physically. Mentally, emotionally, I'm not so great. My mother gave me one task to fulfill and I couldn't even do that. She was an amazing, strong leader. I don't know if I can be even a decent leader…"

"Ralis, I did have the pleasure of knowing your mother since I was younger, and I agree that she was an amazing queen. But I've also known you and you have spirit and understand what it takes to be a ruler. I know this isn't the most opportune way to take over the throne, but I know that when you return to Zora's Domain, you will do so as an amazing ruler."

"Thank you, Glenna, you're too kind…" He trailed off and seemed as though he wanted to say something else. "I wanted to ask you something, actually."

"Shoot."

"The Lakebed Temple…"

Glenna nodded and smiled. "You have nothing to worry about. All monsters have been evacuated. It's safe and holy once again."

**XxX**

Link found himself sitting at one of the tables inside the Inn. No one else appeared to be inside (Luda and Colin had run off to gather something or other), so Midna popped out of his shadow. "I know what I said earlier, but… Not checking out the mirror is sort of making me nervous."

"We don't even know where to start," he pointed out.

"True enough… I don't even know where they would put the mirror here… Maybe somewhere in the castle?"

"Castle?" asked Glenna as she entered the Inn. "Ask me anything about the Castle, I know it nearly as well as Zelda herself."

Midna cackled. "Okay, then. Ever see an outrageously large mirror?"

"Is this the mirror we were talking about yesterday?" inquired Glenna. At Midna's nod, she asked, "So it would probably stand out if I saw it?" Another nod; Midna almost looked earnest. "Nope, never seen any ornate, obscenely large mirror before. Sorry. But… I might know where one is." Glenna locked her fingers behind her back as her eyes glinted mischievously.

Midna seriously invaded her personal space by hovering a few inches from her face. "Listen, Blondie, I don't really think I need to tell you how important it is for me to find that mirror, so stop playing games. If you know where the mirror is, then tell me!"

"Calm down, calm down. I needed to have a little more fun with you before parting ways. I'm going to tell you what I think," assured Glenna. Link and Midna both murmured something about how much Zelda must miss her. "While I haven't exactly been completely allowed to go to the Gerudo Desert, I've gone there on occasion. There are rumors, and I've read, that the old prison that sits in the northern end of the desert has a mirror used to send the worst of the criminals to the Underworld.

"Actually, it says in some books that, supposedly, the Evil King Ganondorf was sent away with the mirror, though Zelda insists that he was executed." Glenna shrugged. "But that's not important. If anyone would know, it would be Auru. It seems that each member of Telma's little group has an area of expertise in Hyrule, and his happens to be the desert."

Midna nodded. "Okay, but he didn't seem to trust you so much…"

"Well, he was a little wary of Link, they all were. But I know he'll help us, trust me. Where we could find him, well… I'd expect in Lake Hylia somewhere. I see him there often."

At that moment, they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door following a brief burst of sunlight into the Inn. Midna immediately disappeared into the shadows, and Link and Glenna had only a moment to pull themselves together as a strange man approached him. As he came closer to the table, they realized it was the postman. "MISS GLENNA!" shouted the postman.

"Why do you have to shout when you're right in front of me?" she muttered under her breath.

"A letter from the barmaid, Telma." He handed her the letter, and she wondered why he thought he needed to specify who he was talking about. She took the letter, and the postman took his leave.

Link stood behind her. "What's it say?"

She ripped open the letter and scanned over the words. "It says that she had a talk with the group about the way they treated you and explained the type of person you are… Auru's noticed some strange activity in the desert and is at Lake Hylia waiting for us."

"That's fortunate. I guess our relaxation time is over."

Glenna folded up the letter and set it in her lap. "Yeah…"

His chair squelched against the wooden floor as Link stood. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing." She stood. "Let's go."

**XxX**

Midna had told Link and Glenna to hide in a more obscure area of Kakariko Village so that she could warp them to Lake Hylia. Doing so as a human always inflicted some dizziness. "Alright, so…" Link looked around.

"He stands on a watchtower at the other side of the lake."

"That figures." As they started to trudge up different bridges that led to higher grassy cliffs, Link glanced at her. "This is the point where you'd usually say, 'Let's race!' But you're not. Why?"

Glenna smiled. "Tired. Besides… this is it. After this, pretty much, you're leaving. I don't know when I'm going to see you again." She brought her eyes from his and looked up into the sky. "So I figured that I would extend our time together for just a bit more if I could."

Link chuckled. "When I first met you, I never would have expected you to be so deep or fun. You seemed strong and very business-like. Now that I know you, I know that you're more clumsy than you are strong."

She shoved him a little. "That's not a very nice thing to say."

"It's not nice to try and push me into the water either," he protested.

"True enough," she agreed. They walked the remainder of the trip in silence until they reached the very tall tower that Auru was standing atop.

Link looked up at it and whistled. "Geez, that thing's _huge_."

When he looked back at her, Glenna winked. "You first." It took nearly ten minutes for them to reach the top. Auru turned back at them with an expectant look on his face.

"Ah, I see the two of you have finally made it, hm?"

Glenna grinned slyly. "You should consider yourself lucky that the postman delivers so fast. So, why did you summon us?"

"I wanted to apologize in person for the way I treated you before, Link. We were unsure of you, thought that you were like the Hyrule guards, and your appearance, it was… unsettling." Auru shook his head. "At any rate, when Telma returned today, she explained to us who you were and what you have done for her and this kingdom."

Glenna's grin slipped away. "You're telling me that my insistence that he was fine was not good enough?"

Auru smiled apologetically. "You see, I have known Telma for a long time, much longer than I have known you. I am very sorry, Glenna." He turned back toward Link and bowed a little. "I am quite sorry, Master Link. If I can do anything to repay you, let me know."

Link nodded. "It's fine. I understand why you didn't trust me." That was only half true. "There is something you can do for me, though. Do you know anything about a cursed mirror in the desert?"

The smile disappeared from Auru's face, and he became a little wary. "I… don't understand. Why would you want to know about the mirror?"

"So you _do _know about it," concluded Glenna.

Auru nodded slowly. "Yes, I do… There is a horrid place in the Gerudo Desert, a place which was once sacred to the Gerudo. It is a prison now, which, at one point, housed some of the Royal Family's worst enemies. The most dangerous criminals there were supposedly sent through a mirror that would take them to the Underworld."

"So the mirror is in this prison?" asked Link.

"Yes, or so it is said… You're not thinking about going there, are you? The desert alone is quite dangerous, but to enter that prison could be your end. Hyrule is recovering now, but there is still much malice in it. It's perfectly probable that that evil place is the source."

Link nodded. "If that's the case, then that's where I'm going. I'll brave the desert, and the prison. It can't be worse than what I've faced already."

"Oh, Master Link… There are rumors of the walking dead from foolish Hylian youths who have had gone there for their foolish games. Of course, that is only if you believe in such things. But I digress. I will help get you to the desert. The man below who runs the cannon, Fyer, owes me his life. Come, I will help you pull some strings."

The three of them descended the tower and returned to the lake below. Fyer visibly jumped at Auru's appearance. "A-Auru, well, what can I do for you today? Hm?"

"Fyer, I'd like you to give my friends here-" He put his hands on Glenna and Link's shoulders.

Glenna shook her head. "No, not me this time. Just Link."

"Really?" asked Auru, his eyebrows raised. "And you're going to go alone, Master Link?" Link nodded slightly, though it wasn't technically true. Not that Auru knew that. Auru clapped him on the shoulder. "Brave lad. Fyer, give Master Link a free lift to the Gerudo Desert."

Fyer did not seem to like this idea. "Auru, business is slow enough as it is, and I really need the money-"

"Hmm, so you choose to live your second chance at life, which I gave you, by being a cheapskate?"

Now Fyer looked downright alarmed. "Uh, of course you're right. You know how much I appreciate what you did for me…" He cleared his throat. "So, uh, step on in and I'll catapult you to the desert for free."

Auru appeared satisfied. "Good luck, Master Link. Be careful."

Glenna nodded as Link turned toward her. "Yeah, uh, be very careful… But I know you'll be in good hands, so…" She rubbed the back of her head. "I'm not very good at goodbyes." Link needed no words as he reached out and pulled her into a brief hug, surprising her quite a bit. Auru coughed into his hand and looked away, and Fyer began to move toward some sort of mechanism with what looked like Oocca designs.

When Link finally released her, Glenna felt colder than she had before. "This isn't a permanent goodbye. I'll see you once I'm through with the desert. Have to teach you how to summon Avianna, remember?" Glenna smiled a little. "Take care of Ilia and Colin and the others while I'm gone, okay?"

"Of course," she agreed. "Uh, be-"

"-Careful?" he asked, grinning. "See ya, Glen. Take care of yourself." Then, he stepped into the dark cannon, and the door closed, and he was gone.

* * *

**A/n: As I mentioned earlier, I actually require reviews for this chapter because I want some feedback from you, my readers. I have a decision to make which will impact the remainder of the story, but I can't decide which I'd rather choose and figured that there's no one better to ask then the people who will be reading this. So, I want to know whether or not Glenna should go to Arbiter's Ground, too. Be sure to review and specify whether you want Glenna to go to Arbiter's Grounds with Link and Midna or if she should stay behind. This is very important, please review! Until the next chapter!**


	21. You'll Never Be Alone

**Chapter Twenty-One:  
**You'll Never Be Alone

**A/n: A huge thanks to cwizumi and super1 for their feedback, I definitely needed it! I did have two outlines for this chapter, just to compare the two ideas, and am happy to announce that I chose- Well, there's no point in saying it, when you can read for yourselves. Enjoy the chapter!**

'_No, you'll never be alone_

When darkness comes, you know I'm never far.

Hear my whispers in the dark.'

**-"Whispers in the Dark" by Skillet**

**

* * *

**

Glenna seemed to feel the effects of being by herself immediately as she trekked up the little known path from Lake Hylia up to the southern entrance of Castle Town. She was so adjusted to being with someone constantly because of Link or always having a task to carry through, but she had nothing at the moment. As she walked up the southern road aimlessly, she threw a pouch of rupees to the man at the apple stand and bit into the red skin as she considered her options.

She looked up and almost wanted to smack her forehead for her own stupidity. The answer to her questions was staring her right in the face! Midna had said that Zant would likely evacuate the castle and, even if he hadn't, she was duty bound to seek out Zelda. Still, she was not stupid. If she wanted to try to get into the castle, she knew that she should not attempt it on her own. Without Link, though, who could she turn to?

**XxxxxX**

Gerudo Desert was an expansive wasteland of sand and, really, nothing much else. Link was starting to wonder if not taking Glenna along with them was a huge mistake as he stared at the expanse of the desert from atop a sand dune. Midna popped out of his shadow and hovered beside him. The sun was excruciatingly warm, and he wondered if that would affect her in anyway. "Midna, this desert isn't small by any means. How are we going to find the prison?"

"Eee hee hee, why don't you try looking that way, dog boy?" she suggested as she pointed at several tall towers and a large building off to the west. Link suddenly felt very foolish. "At any rate, I think I owe you some things, Link." Her voice had become abruptly serious which forced him to believe that he should listen carefully. "One of the main reasons I didn't want Glenna to come with us is because I strongly believe that Zant's going to be waiting for us somewhere down the road. If he isn't, then I'd have to believe that he took over Hyrule just for laughs. And if what the princess told me is true… Well, never mind that. There's something else, too.

"I don't know how much Lanayru told you about the Fused Shadows, but I know he definitely said something to you judging by how shaken you were when Glenna and I found you. He… told you of their origins, right?" Link nodded. "Right… Then, you know that the people who created the Fused Shadows were sealed away in a different realm?" Another nod. "The place where those people were sent was a hellish place where the light never shined but darkness never came. It was sort of an in-between, like the twilight of this world only, really, darker. And they dealt with it, those people. They could no longer return to the light realm by any means.

"And, even if they had been able to, they would not be able to dwell long. They would have to seek out the shadows which their realm was made up out of. Those people named their hell the Twilight Realm. Short, sweet, and to the point, right? So, therefore, the people there came to be known as the twili…" Midna broke off to stare at him. Lanayru had told him of the tribe's fate, and even that they were twili, but he had never put two and two together until that point. "Do you get it now? My people were considered monsters by the goddesses and light spirits, hence why we were sealed away into the partial darkness."

She stopped in order to grin quite bitterly. "So, if you ever had any doubts before, which I highly doubt, all I am is a monster." Her eyes dropped to the sand.

Link shook his head immediately. "No, stop." Slowly, she looked up at him. "You, a monster? Midna, I could never think of you as a monster. There were so many chances for you to get rid of me and Glenna… even my friends, but you didn't. That's Zant, not you. You are anything but a monster; don't let anyone tell you differently."

Midna felt something in her chest that she could not quite place. It felt as though her heart was lighter. Actually, it felt like it was… fluttering. How silly. She had never had anyone treat her quite so kindly, and she certainly would not have expected it from a hylian. It made her feel badly for how she had acted in the past. "Look, I know I've said this a few times already, but I'm sorry for how I've treated you and Glenna and for making you help me so much. And I…" She shook her head. "Whatever. Just, thank you for coming this far with me."

She turned and faced toward the prison in the distance. "You know… My home was a tranquil, peaceful place until Zant, in what I could only assume was his rage, took control of the realm and transformed all of the inhabitants into creatures of darkness, a lot like the ones you've fought here…" The thought made her heart sink a little. "But he didn't do that to me, not exactly…" The second part of the sentence was so quiet that Link was not sure he had heard her right. "And he sent me from there with no way to get back. I know if I can find that mirror, the only link between this realm and mine, then I can't get back and make things right again. I must.

"…But, I don't think I can do it on my own," she mumbled as she turned back toward him. "You are, literally, a godsend, Link. You'll… You'll come with me, won't you?" She seemed nervous to ask.

Without hesitation, he nodded his agreement. "Of course, Midna." She smiled a true smile then, and her translucent hand brushed against his cheek. It should not have felt like anything, but he felt heat where it touched.

"Thank you." Then, she disappeared into his shadow, leaving Link to plow through the desert on his own.

**XxxxxX**

There was nothing she hoped to gain by asking the guards for their assistance. In fact, she had made sure not to get her hopes up because she knew better. She pulled up her hood as it began to rain and started up the stairs leading to the castle's gates. Neither of the guards spoke to her as she, by her lonesome, bypassed them. Every one of the guards had refused to assist her. Was chivalry dead?

_Glenna leaned against the stone wall beside the guard hovering near the west gate. "You know who I am, right? Zelda's-" -The guard cringed at her lack of honorific - "Aid, pretty much?" He nodded. "'Kay, great. Then, you should know that I am planning on entering the castle and making sure Zelda is alright, and stuff. It's probably pretty safe but, to be sure, I wanted some of the guards to come with me. What do you say?"_

_ The guard began to shake at her mere mention of entering the castle. "Wh-what? You c-crazy? Scary monsters went into there, I heard the stories! No way I'm going in there!"_

_ "Not even for your princess?" she asked, her voice flat._

_ "N-not worth me dying!"_

_ Her jaw almost dropped. "…I'll make sure that Zelda knows what kind of men she has protecting her. Did she ever mention that, in addition to guarding Hyrule, you're supposed to be guarding her? Nice spine you have there." Glenna stalked off toward the fountain and looked up at the sky as it became grey. She had spoken to all of the guards she could find, and not one was willing to help her. There was only one thing she could do - technically, there were two things, but she was not the type to sit around and wait. "Okay." _

She had checked out Telma's Bar - and felt almost completely guilty in the process - to see if Ashei or the others were there, but she had not found them.

The castle's doors seemed much heavier than they had… When was the last time she had even gone through these doors? It felt like forever now. She entered the courtyard and felt a wave of nostalgia hit her… until a red Bokoblin ran up to her with a machete. Glenna jumped away from it and knocked into it with her shield before running her sword through it. Just like that, it fell. "Hm. It seems that things have changed since I was last here…"

Kargarocs swooped down at her as she passed the fountain and stopped at the castle's doors. She yanked on them and was quite surprised when they flew open. So far, she had seen no guards outside though there had definitely been some stationed there before. Where could they all be? Glenna pursed her lips together as she entered the uncharacteristically dark foyer. She was not that naïve that she could not guess where they were.

She walked further into the room and stopped in the center before looking around. The clear route she was going to take was going to be up the main hallway and through the door on the second floor, but she was looking for any sign of a guard. There was none. As she moved off to the right side of the room, Glenna's foot became caught on something and she tumbled to the ground. Laying on the cold tiled floor, she realized how damaged it was with scratches, chips, and pieces missing all together. Glenna inhaled deeply before turning onto her back as she tried to insist that the day would not continue going wrong for her. The next thing her eyes took in proved her wrong.

There was something perched on the domed ceiling as if it belonged there, as if it were natural. It was fairly large, she could tell that much despite its distance, and seemed to be wearing armor, including a blade on its tail. _'A blade on its tail?' _As if her sudden realization made the creature realize her presence, it dropped from the ceiling. Once she overcame her surprise, Glenna rolled over and the Lizalfos stabbed its blade into the spot where her body had been. "Well, things just became interesting," she proclaimed to herself as she stood and drew out her sword.

**XxxxxX**

Night had fallen by the time Link reached the foot of the Arbiter's Grounds. He found himself standing outside of what appeared to be an old fortress which was decorated by tall pillars (many of which had fallen over), watch towers and, his favorite, archer Bulbins waiting to strike him down. _'Guess it's time to familiarize yourself with the bow. Eee hee hee!' _Midna had said once he realized he was going to have to shoot a majority of the monsters.

Now, he found himself pressing his back against a stone wall as he tried to catch his breath. The Bulbins were ruthless and, even worse, if they noticed him from atop a tower, many reinforcements were called in. He looked around the wall and saw no Bulbins. Upon craning his head around the wall, he noticed a path leading up to the prison's entrance. Unfortunately for him, it was barred off with wood fences that Epona could have jumped… if he had Epona with him.

_'Now what?' _He could try climbing over them, sure, but he was not sure he could afford that much time with his back turned to the camp.

Midna floated out of his shadow and hovered over to a gate to the right, which was adorned with the skull of some type of animal. Through the gate, he could hear and (somewhat) see a boar. "That seems like a good idea! But you can't get in…" She poked at the lock. "…Without the key. Better get searching." Then, she disappeared once more. Unfortunately, her voice had drawn the attention of a few Bulbins. They came running in with bows and clubs held at the ready.

"Son of a bitch." He unsheathed his sword and ran it through the creatures. None of them dropped a key. He was - and he was starting to wonder if Glenna had rubbed off on him - seriously considering climbing over the fences. Instead, he looked through the last area of the camp and finally located the key after destroying more Bulbins. "I hope that was worth the hassle."

_'You really are starting to get Blondie's attitude,' _observed Midna. _'You better find a remedy for that.' _

Link moved to the gate and unlocked it with ease. A sudden breeze of wind closed it behind him, but the torch directly outside illuminated the room enough that he was not concerned. The boar was snorting and pawing at the sand in the center of the room; it became stiff and unsettled as he came closer. The goat herder in him suddenly made an appearance as he approached the creature slowly and stroked its head to calm it. This seemed to work as the boar relaxed immediately. Before he had the opportunity to climb onto its back, his eye caught something. Two small red objects were glaring at him from the corner of the room.

Sooner than he could unsheath his sword, King Bulbin was stepping into the center of the room with them and, with an monstrous-sized axe, knocked Link and the boar over in one swing. The boar fell atop Link, pinning him to the ground. King Bulbin chuckled, a most unsettling, strange sound, as he slowly approached him. "How… the hell… did he survive… being thrown off two bridges…?" grunted Link between attempts to pull himself free, which only succeeded in hurting his legs more and more. He pushed the pain out of his mind as he scooted himself out from beneath the boar… just to be knocked aside like a rag doll by the axe a second time. _'Link, come on!' _

He rolled aside as the axe was swung again and was beyond pleased to see it getting lodged in the wooden wall. At last, Link slid his sword out of its scabbard and was able to stab into the oversized Bulbin's greenish skin. There was something deeply satisfying about being able to see his sword make King Bulbin's blood run this closely. "I don't get it. When exactly are you going to be happy to die and stay down?"

"When you are ten feet underground," growled the Bulbin in response, surprising the hell out of Link, who staggered a little as his sword came loose.

_'He can talk?' _demanded Midna with the same surprise Link felt.

King Bulbin turned and moved at a slow, menacing pace toward Link. His pace was about a fourth of the speed that Link had in him, and he easily moved to the back and slashed him several times. The Bulbin replied by growling somewhat and limping as he approached a back entrance Link had not known existed. The door opened for King Bulbin easily, then shut on Link. A moment later, he heard more grunting… followed by an even more unsettling laugh. The next thing he new, the smell of smoke was in the air and fire was coloring the walls.

Midna popped out of his shadow for just a moment. "Wow, that was vindictive! Link, get that boar and get out of here… Fast!" She disappeared as he climbed onto the boar, which was standing once more. It was facing the wrong direction, and he urged it to move quickly as he turned it toward the gate. Fire was almost completely engulfing the shed now, and Link, out of habit, kicked the boar's side. Bingo. The creature shot through the gates like a bat out of hell and did not stop until they were at the steps leading into Arbiter's Grounds.

Link dropped off of the boar and fell into the sand. He inhaled deeply as he stared up at the night sky, which was lined with many stars. His eyes shut for just a moment and, when he opened them, he found Midna hovering over him with a concerned expression. "Link, are you alright?"

"If I had fifty rupees for every time I was caught in an isolated, burning area… I would have one-hundred rupees. There's nothing good about being able to say that," he decided as he inhaled deeply again.

The side of Midna's lips quirked into a half-smile. "My brave, brave hero."

**XxxxxX**

After felling the Lizalfos, Glenna had started her trek up to the throne room. Her stomach began to feel more and more uneasy the higher she went, as she continued to find monsters in hallways and rooms. Not only that, but… Her heart sank as she entered a small room that was, really, less of a room and more of a wide hallway with a door on the north and south ends. Laying beneath a painting on the east wall were the bodies of a few soldiers. Glenna approached them and kneeled on the red carpeting.

Given the way their bodies were piled atop each other, she could tell that they had, in all likelihood, not died that way but had carelessly been moved by some monster of Zant (_'What's the difference?' _she thought). Glenna shook her head and swallowed hard, her throat feeling constricted. What was wrong with her? She was not exactly best friends with the guards but…

…But she thought about how she had been having a wonderful time in Ordon with Link and the others while these men fought and were killed as they tried to protect Zelda. She should have _been _there. The only reason she hadn't been was because she was too busy having fun. Glenna pushed her hair out of her face and slowly stood. There was no time for mourning, not now. She _had _to make sure that Zelda was okay.

So she continued to run through hallways and rooms, becoming more unsettled by more monsters and… more dead bodies (some of which appeared to have been pecked on by some of the monsters). Glenna did not find relief until she reached one of the last (and larger) rooms before the throne room. It was a room used for… she was not even sure, herself. Zelda said she would make it into a ballroom when Glenna once asked, then she had countered by saying it was stupid to have a ballroom so many floors high in the castle.

Glenna continued to rush, then jumped backwards with shock as the tile below her broke. "Am I really that heavy?" she demanded as she watched the pieces crumble and fall to some room down below. She transformed into a wolf (she was lighter on her feet that way) and covered the room in a dash and turned up the staircase. She froze and found that she had reached another obstacle. Perhaps the second biggest evidence of Zant's seige laid before her: the staircase had been seriously broken, and was missing large pieces in parts. Still, it was nothing that she couldn't handle in her current form. After a few heart-stopping slipups and more running, Glenna finally reached a large door that led her outside.

In her hylian form, she started up the outdoor staircase with her stomach tied in knots, only finding slight relief from the cool rain on her face. As she hovered in the doorway of the room, doubt filled her. Maybe Zelda was not her. Maybe she was still in that strange tower that Zant had locked her in. What if, after Zant left, the monsters had kept her locked inside? Glenna felt her heart beat even faster. She didn't know how to get to that tower from where she was.

Glenna shook her head and attempted to soothe herself. Zelda was a sorceress. She could unlock doors easily. She would be in the throne room… Probably. Overcoming her doubts, Glenna entered the large throne room and felt more sadness touch her as she noticed a large amount of dead bodies lining the floor. Even more sadness stabbed her heart as she noticed that no one (living, at least) was in the room.

"Damn it. Go figure. Damn it!" Glenna stalked further into the room nonetheless. Despite the current look and feel of the room, she was longing to collapse in (or near) the throne chair. Climbing the castle had sapped her of her energy. When she was still a bit away from the chair, a shadow darted out from behind it. She hesitated, then felt relief. Maybe Zelda had escaped, or something, and had been hiding behind the throne?

Glenna pursed her lips together. That didn't see right. Zelda wouldn't simply sit around and wait if the coast was clear and leave her people wondering. Unless she was hurt. "Zelda! Zelda, are you alright? Zelda, goddesses, I'm so-"

"-Sorry?" The person finished for her in a voice that was _definitely _not Zelda's. Still, it sounded familiar to her… "You should be. You let your precious princess down. That's what she told me before I slit her throat."

"Zant," hissed Glenna. And, suddenly, there he was, right in her face. She had no clue how he had done it, but now her face was about an inch or so away from his chest. Glenna backed up, but Zant moved much quicker than her. He moved his hand diagonally, and something hard impacted her chest with enough force to knock her to the ground.

When she glanced down to see if there was any damage, she noticed red seeping through her dress. _'A nice perk,' _she thought bitterly, _'to wearing a white dress.' _Glenna looked up and found, without feeling surprised, that Zant was hovering over her. His hand reached down and seized her hair. She felt tired and desperate and, recalling Zant's words, angry. "You killed Zelda?" Her voice was edgy and harsh.

"With ease. The same ease, in fact, that I could kill you. Actually, killing you would likely be easier." Zant, behind his helmet, seemed to consider the idea for a moment. "Then again, she did not so much as put up a fight. She felt so betrayed by you and so angry at herself for letting down Hyrule that she let me kill her. She even asked to do it herself."

"Liar," she snarled. "Zelda was many things, but not a coward. She would _never _do what you said."

A chuckle that was surprisingly deep and… almost handsome rumbled in Zant's throat. "You would be surprised, shape-shifter, what a desperate person will do. And, as I currently see it, you are also a desperate person, so you will assist me."

"I will not."

"You… do not even know what I was going to say."

"I don't care," she continued in a callous voice. "I would never help you with anything, you stupid scumbag!"

Zant chuckled. "You are spunky. Quite a handful, really. You are more use to me dead than alive…" he seemed to weigh the options for a moment before continuing. "Tell me why you are here alone. Where are your… friends?"

"Friends? I don't have any friends. Not the foggiest idea of what you're talking about."

His hand had a vice grip on her neck. "Do not," he began in a quiet, dangerous voice that had a slightly mad edge, "play games with me. I am in no mood. Tell me where Midna and the supposed hero are."

"If you're half as smart as you seem to think you are, then you should know already." The ground, which she was sure had been beneath her a moment ago, disappeared as she was hurled through the air. Her body hit one of the pillars, and she slowly slid back to the floor. Glenna stared ahead of her with slightly unfocused eyes and saw about three Zants walking slowly toward her. They walked like a hunter that had just spotted its prey.

Glenna staggered to her feet. _'Can't… give in this easily… can I? That's just… not me.' _She took out her sword but found that she couldn't quite figure out how to hold it right. It felt too heavy in her hands, and it made her stagger to the side. Her body righted itself when the sword suddenly flew out of her grip and into Zant's hand. "G-Give that back, you bastard!"

Zant ignored her as he slid his hand across the blade. "A beautiful thing… but that's all it is. Beautiful. Otherwise, it is useless. Much like you, your princess, and my Midna."

"_Your _Midna?" spat Glenna. "You don't own her!"

"But I do… I am king, after all. Does the king not own his servants, those below him? The, ah, underlings?"

"An underling? You are… an arrogant fool."

Zant nodded his head once. In the next moment, Glenna found him standing in front of her once more but not quite as close. She cried out as she felt something sore through her abdomen. Then, he took a step forward, pushing her own blade deeper into her body. Glenna screamed even louder. Though her ears were ringing, she could distantly make out Zant's laughter. "I have been watching you, Glenna, for quite some time now. You are quite amusing, constantly putting on a façade when you feel pain. I have never quite had the pleasure to hear you scream…"

He brought his lips down to her ear. "I am going to bend you until you break. Then, I will do it some more. I will continue to bend and break you until you surrender." Zant drew his tongue across his lips. "And, unlike Zelda, I know that this will be a long, drawn out battle because you are a stubborn, stubborn girl."

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**A/n: A cliffhanger, ooh. You know what makes cliffhangers end? New chapters. You know what makes new chapters come out really quickly? Reviews. ;D I hope you all enjoyed. I must say that I really liked writing this chapter.**


	22. Repercussions

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**  
Repercussions

**A/n: I apologize for the lag in updating, but I didn't have internet for a bit. Anyway, today's chapter's probably going to be a bit on the shorter side. Enjoy and thank you for the reviews... review, I guess. xD**

'_I've been up, but I ain't down._

_I've been lost, but now I'm found._

_I've been defeated for sure.'_

**-"Ride to California" by Paper Tongues**

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Even as a child herself, Princess Zelda had always had her eyes on the "prize": the crown, the throne. She had been the only child of the King of Hyrule and the Queen, who had died in childbirth. Her father had always been quite serious with her, chastising her when she acted like a child because that was not "how a queen was supposed to act". She had always followed through with her studies and read a lot. Zelda tried her hardest to make her father proud and impressed, but that had never worked.

At around the age of eight, her father had caught a horrendous disease that resulted in his death. At the age of eight, Zelda became the only ruler for Hyrule. Glenna had met her shortly before her father's untimely demise. Zelda had known that her time to be in charge of a kingdom would soon be upon her, and that was when she devised a plan. Both of them were very young, but Glenna was part beast and she, at her young age, was about to be the sole ruler, so she figured the usual rules did not apply. Zelda made Glenna her assistant, in a way, and had her scout out the different regions of Hyrule in her beastly form.

Both Glenna and Zelda learned much about the kingdom, which would prove beneficial for the young princess. Even (and especially) at that time, Zelda had been concerned with how she was as a ruler, knowing full-well that any slip-up or sign of weakness could result in being invaded. Despite the fact that Zelda was a strong ruler, the old doubts and concerned, mostly instilled by her father, also showed through.

Glenna could not help but remember these things as she lay on the cool, stone floor of the dungeon. She had known Zelda for her ten years and, other than Telma, she was the only person she had known for most of her life. To hear Zant slander her name and admit to killing her was nothing more than infuriating and heartbreaking. The vulture himself stood outside of her cell, pacing like a caged animal despite that she was the one caged. "I don't understand who you think you're protecting. Your princess is dead, and as for Midna and Link… If they really cared for you, wouldn't you be with them?"

It had been a while, now, since he had laid down any sort of beating on her, and Glenna found her attitude was returning swiftly. She lifted her head, damp with the water that seemed to line the floor and colored with her blood, and held up her body with her hands firmly planted on the ground. "They're not my babysitters," she growled, "and how much they care for me has nothing to do with whether or not I'm with them." Zant chuckled. "No, I suppose you're correct… But does the amount of secrets have anything to do with it? I know nothing about the alleged hero, but Midna… I know much about her. Before you go on defending her without merit, allow me to tell you the truth about what she is.

"Midna was no one special back in our Twilight Realm, yet when the time came to pass the throne… she was the one who was picked," informed Zant in a voice full of hate. Glenna was very glad that he wore his helmet as she was sure the expression to match his tone would not be very nice to look at. "I did not understand. I did everything for the royal family; I was always offering up my services… And those rulers, they did nothing for my people. They were content to leave us in our meager half-existence, constantly in the shadow of Hyrule and the light realm. Foolishness. Even more foolish were the people, who were also content living as the shadows of the "chosen" race, the hylians. I turned my back on the fools, sure that the realm had gone mad. It seemed that this was fate, as I soon after found a god, a god whose only desire was to free me from my half-existence, and mix the shadows of Hyrule with its light to create complete darkness…"

A wide grin that Glenna could not see slowly spread across Zant's lips. "Yes, with the aid of my god, I stalked Midna one day. The Twilight Realm was peaceful, and she never had any concerns about walking alone. I followed her and knocked her down, in the process sealing her into the form that you know her as now."

"Midna… That's not Midna's true form?" Glenna was beyond angry and spent, but Zant's story, admittedly, was interesting.

A chuckle rumbled from his throat. "Indeed. I sent her from the palace, and who was she to attempt to get back in? She was weak and pathetic; I had no concerns. What I did not realize was that she somehow managed to come into our tribe's old magic… From there, I dismissed her to the light world, believing that she would wither away here. Then, my god put an idea in my head: "Claim what is rightfully yours. The light world, Hyrule… Show them what happens when you oppress the mighty." And so I did."

Glenna simply watched Zant for a moment while pondering whether or not his story was supposed to make her hate Midna. If that was what he had been hoping for, then he had been sorely mistaken. "If you think telling me that Midna is the true Twilight Princess is going to change anything, then you're completely off track."

Zant seemed surprise. "She _lied _to you. She kept important information from you!"

"That doesn't change anything, not really. I always thought Midna was holding out something on us, but… Your delusional and evil, and I will _never _help you with anything. You make me sick."

"And yet, that is where I think you're wrong," he chuckled. "Everyone has their price. Your father had his, didn't he?" Glenna's lips curled back unpleasantly, like the wolf she was. "I'm sure I can find something that will make you give in because, you see, I know much about you." She was on her feet now, watching as Zant continued in his pacing.

"If nothing else, you and Midna have one thing in common. That is, you both wish, in vain, for things that you can never have and, deep down, you are in denial. She believes she can remain in here in the light realm. You believe that you can have a life as a normal woman. But your disillusion comes in handy, you see. Because you want to pretend to be normal, you have made many friends… many targets." Glenna stopped her fidgeting. "Do you understand now?"

Glenna shook her head. She would lie through her teeth if she had to. "I have no friends. All I had was Zelda, and she's gone now."

"Foolish girl," hissed Zant, once again demonstrating his ability to flip from one mood to an opposite mood in moments. "Do you think me stupid? I recognize your feelings for the so-called hero, and you obviously consider Midna, if nothing else, a comrade. Then, there are those stupid little children that are also connected to the hero's heart and let's not forget the barmaid or your family."

"I despise my family. Do whatever you want to them."

Zant tilted his head to the side. "Even the sister who resides in the village that lies in the Eldin province?" Glenna froze. "As I thought. Now, if you do not tell me the location of the Twilight Princess and the hero, then I'm afraid I will have to do something… undesirable to those you care about."

Wasn't it just like the villain to threaten the heroine with the people she loved? "The… The prison in the desert," she mumbled in a voice barely above a whisper.

Another chuckle. "I was not sure that you would tell me. The amusing thing is that I already knew that. I just wanted to see if I could get you to betray your friends. But, there is another thing you must do for me, or reap the consequences."

Tense, Glenna asked, "What?"

**XxX**

Thus far, the Arbiter's Grounds had proven itself to be a disturbing, dangerous, and disgusting place lined with skeletons, undead enemies (including quite a bit of ReDeads), and poisonous insects. Link felt spent but relieved when they reached, according to the map, the final room before the chamber that would lead up to, hopefully, the mirror. The room was solely lit by four torches which cast eerie, blue light in, mostly, the northern section.

"I can feel it, Link," remarked Midna as she popped out of his shadow. "The mirror's here. We're really close."

Link moved through the room with tentative steps. He had already been through quite a few rooms where one step would trigger a whole mess of traps. _'Just what kind of prison was this anyway?' _he wondered not for the first time. He lugged himself up the steps and was almost through the open doorway when a chill passed through the room. Not for the first time, he felt like he was not alone. Creepy, feminine laughter filled the room, and a gate suddenly blocked his exit. When Link turned around, he found four small, cloaked figures, each brandishing a small torch.

"Now what?" demanded Midna as they surveyed the creatures.

"Hehe," one of the creatures, dressed in a purple robe and wearing a strange teethed mask. "You thought that you were going to leave so easily? We have other plans in mind… I am Meg, and these are my sisters, Joelle, Beth, and Amy. We once haunted a place in the forest until we were summoned here one day to stop prisoners from escaping or discovering the execution beast."

Midna hovered slightly in front of Link. "'Execution beast'?"

"Of course… how else were the prisoners supposed to have their lives ended?" asked Amy.

The one in the orange robes, Joelle, snickered as she swung her torch, which currently a blue flame. "We were nice… We let you in!" Link recalled the very first room of the temple, which had also had several torches. "But… we're not going to let you out!" Then, the Poe sisters simultaneously split up and went into several different directions, darkening the room and making Link curse.

**XxxxxX**

A vision of seven sages who should not have existed along with a group of translucent male sages came to Zelda during her long nap. There fierce appearances made her uneasy, particularly since she had seen two wolves being destroyed in the dream. Slowly, she sat up and took in her surroundings.

Once, Glenna had told her that there was a fishing hole in Lanayru that was great for scenery but not so much for fishing. It was always empty, she had been told, and she was relieved to see that her friend had been right. It was a safe place for her to regain her strength as it was the last place Zant would think to look.

"Too cryptic," mumbled Zelda as she looked up at the night sky. "Where could they possibly be…?"

**XxxxxX**

After quite a bit of time of wandering and getting lost, Link followed a corridor based on Midna's instincts that the final poe had gone that way. As it turned out, she was right, as he found Joelle hovering at the end of it but, upon noticing him, she made a beeline around the corridor. _'No problem.' _

_'Don't get so cocky, watch your feet,' _warned Midna not for the first time as Link found himself wading through quicksand. It definitely wasn't the worst that the prison had to offer, so he felt good when he turned the corner… until he found what he was facing. A small army of tiny skeletons armed with spears was slowly making its way toward him, apparently light enough to be able to walk atop the sand. Still, it was not too awful, and he saw Joelle waiting at the end of the hall, giggling.

With little effort, Link swung his sword in a spinning motion and took care of a good portion of the tiny skeletons, evading the rest by running past them. Joelle swung the torch at him as if she hoped to burn him, but it was in vain and, soon enough, her empty robe fluttered to the floor with the torch and the flame floated back to its original location.

**XxX**

Link returned to the torch room to find, with relief, the flames back to their original locations and the door unbarred. He entered through the doorway to find a tall staircase spiraling up into the prison. The stairs were somewhat slippery with sand, and he nearly lost his footing and fell over the ledge. Below the staircase sat a pool of quicksand, making Link wonder if it was the alternative for any prisoners trying to escape their fate.

The room where the Poe Sisters said the "Execution Beast" resided was a dark, mostly sand-filled room located at the very top of the tower that the staircase was settling in. Dust scattered as he entered and glanced around. His heart momentarily stopped beating - and Midna popped out of his shadow - as Link noticed Glenna's form bent over a colossal skull. He opened his mouth, about to ask her how she had gotten there, then closed it. Hadn't Zant pulled this trick already? The silent room filled with the sound of his sword ringing as it slid out of the scabbard.

"Did you know that this temple was once sacred to the Gerudo people?" Glenna asked in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "After Ganondorf tried to take over the Sacred Realm, and was captured, many Gerudos were killed. So, this place was turned into a prison for the worst criminals… And in order to destroy most of the criminals, the sages here had a beast that would kill them. It was a legend, of course, and I've only ever heard it in gossip… Then, I came here to find this," she gestured to the skull and bones. "Now I don't know what to think."

The way she was talking, Link nearly had no doubt that it was the actual Glenna. He allowed his blade to lower a little as he started down the sandy incline. "Glenna… How did you… get here?"

"That's easy," mumbled Glenna, attempting to keep her resolve as she slowly raised the heavy sword out of the sand before her. "I owed Zant a favor."

Link stopped dead in his tracks. It could have been a joke had her tone not been so serious. "What?" shrieked Midna. "Have you lost your mind?"

She seemed to seriously consider this for a moment before responding with, "I think so." Then, she slammed the sword into the monster's skull, just like Zant said. Stallord's previously dead eyes began to glow red, and Glenna moved back onto solid ground just as Zant, in the blink of an eye, appeared.

Midna began to float toward him. "Zant…!" He glanced her way for only a moment before his and Glenna's bodies dissolved into twilight fragments. "I have no idea what's going on, but something's not right. Let's take care of this thing fast, alright?" Stallord reared its head and roared in response.

**XxX**

The statue of the Goddess of the Sand, who loomed at the top of the Arbiter's Grounds, beamed under the luminance of the moon. Glenna rested against it as she attempted to come to terms with what she had done. If she doubted Link's abilities, then she would have worried for his life, but this was not something that concerned her. The only thing that she was currently doubting was herself. "My God has so blessed me. Everything is finally falling into my hands… Soon, I will get the chance to show Midna the error of her ways and eliminate that annoying hero from this world." Zant was standing atop the statue, tainting it.

"You said you wouldn't hurt anyone," argued Glenna.

"I have said many things… Do you truly believe all of them?"

After considering this for a moment, she asked, "Does that mean that Zelda is-?"

"You are a selfish creature, only concerned with the things that concern you. It's disgusting."

"You should talk about selfish, you power-hungry-"

Zant chuckled. "While I am sure your retort was going to be most amusing, you cannot stay here. I have business to attend to and you will only get in my way. However, I must ask you to be good. There are consequences for your actions, don't forget." Without him raising so much as a finger, Glenna's body disappeared into twilight fragments for the second time within moments.

In about the same breath, Link and Midna came bounding up the steps and into the area, but they did not see Zant, who seemed to have disappeared as well. "Look, more of those rings… I guess you're supposed to use that spinner," noticed Midna. Link pulled out the strange, ancient artifact and complied, riding the seam up to the top of the statue. At the top, he used it to lower the statue into the sand and, at the same time, raise a mirror with a slab of rock.

Midna was drawn to the mirror immediately. "I can't… believe it. The Mirror of Twilight…" The sun seemed to be close to rising now, making Link question just how much time they had spent within the prison. "This is it. Now, we can finally put an end to Zant's reign…"

Six ethereal beings appeared above every pillar except for the broken one. They all appeared to be older men. "Closer than you may think, a dark being lurks… But it is not the one that you might expect. We sages were ordered by the goddesses to watch over this mirror, but… we erred.

"Long ago, a man from the sea of sand invaded Hyrule, seeking to, as many did, claim dominion in the Sacred Realm… But his intents were not known until it was too late. The man posed as a good man, as aid to the king of that time, but he was soon discovered by two children to be a fraud. He was blind, not believing that anyone could see him for what he truly was… He underestimated them. Thus, he was brought her to be brought to justice. However, during his execution… something went horribly wrong.

"We impaled him with our Execution Sword but, by some divine trick, he did not fall. Instead, he turned the sword back against us, and eliminated the Sage of Water… He was threatening to rise once more, and escape, so we acted rashly. With the aid of the mirror, we sent him from this realm."

"You're saying… that Zant's power is not really the result of his own?" asked Link.

"Indeed. It seems that, somehow, he came into contact with Ganondorf, and is utilizing his power."

The sun was rising quite steadily now, and a shadow passed over them as something dropped down from one of the pillars surrounding the area. Zant dropped onto the platform with the mirror, forcing Midna to move back a little. "End? My Midna, this is only the beginning. For you, however, this could be the end… But not if you choose correctly." The sages reacted swiftly, and began to pool their power to summon a blast of light, but, as before, they were no use for the sacred power that lie within Zant, and he managed to freeze them into place.

Midna returned to Link's side. "Zant! You…"

"I grow tired of this stifling brightness…" As he spoke the words, the light faded away and twilight fell upon them. For the first time in a while, all of the bones in Link's body shifted into that of a wolf, and he collapsed into the sand. "Much more livable."

"Zant, you-!" Before she had much of a chance to say anything, Midna felt her body become immobile shortly before it crashed into one of the walls. She only managed a small grunt in response. The Fused Shadows flew off of her person and hovered before Zant.

"So, you really meant to use this forgotten, withered magic against me? You could not simply settle and obey me. Instead, you insist on turning against your king…"

Midna bared her teeth in a quite unpleasant grimace. "My king? Don't make me laugh. You are a power-hungry, selfish fool and nothing more than that."

"Foolish imp! You do not quite seem to understand, so allow me to assist you. I have come into a power that you could not possibly comprehend, granted to me by my god. This power has made all of my enemies fall away, and you shall be no different if you continue to defy me!" He stepped off of the platform and made his way toward Link. "As I told the shape-shifter earlier, you are delusional. Our people were sent away from this place; we cannot exist here! But how quickly you forget such things when it comes to this one…" He nudged Link's side with his shoe. "How could you possibly lead our people? You and that foolish royal family… Under my rule, the twili will finally reclaim what is rightfully ours!" Midna continued to make different facial expressions and growl, but she never managed to get out an actual sentence or phrase.

"Midna, our people are fond of you, which is why, I suppose, you were chosen to rule… Help me, rule by my side, and, together, we can restore our people to their former glory."

Midna finally broke free of her bonds and stood, protectively, in front of Link. "You don't even care what our people want. You are _selfish_, and I'll make sure that you never get your way."

Zant inclined his head. "If that is what you desire, then I will help make you one with this world that you adore." The sages became unfrozen, and he easily sidestepped their blast which hit Midna, engulfing her whole being, instead. Her scream was like nails on a chalkboard; it was unbearable to listen to… and Link did not want to. Snarling, he ran forward and charged at Zant. Instead of side-stepping him, Zant simply tapped his finger in Link's direction and a lethal-looking, black chunk of magic flew into Link's forehead, forcing him back into the sand as the thing sunk beneath his fur. "Your end is upon you!"

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**A/n: I did get a little lazy on this one, so I apologize. Another cliff hanger. You know what that means~ Reviews inspire me to update really quickly. Until the next chapter!**


	23. We Need the Light of Day

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**  
We Need the Light of Day

**A/n: You guys are so nice for constantly reviewing when I beg. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much it means to me. :] Ah, and I should probably address this as I'm not sure I have before. I have a tendancy, for one reason or another, to write these chapters late at night. Not necessarily the whole thing (some parts I write months in advance), but the bulk, so if there are any weird errors, it's my writing late at night and not carefully proofreading. With that said, enjoy!**

'_We've heard a kind of paradise beyond the desert's dunes.  
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_We've walked the earth in solitude, so cold we need the warmth of sun.  
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_We've lived the life that we could live, we see the truth magic that begins.…'_

**-"Strangers" by Yoko Kanno**

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As a wolf, Link collapsed in the warm sand. They were so close; the mirror was still managing to somehow glint in the sun. Midna's screams echoed in his ears. Zant was turned toward her again, and he raised his arm. All of the Fused Shadows (excluding the one she wore as a headpiece) floated off of her person and disappeared. Somehow, Link forced his body up. Unwisely, Zant had turned his back to his enemy. Quickly, he rammed his head into Zant's side, into the light energy blast, and dragged Midna away by her arm. She looked terrible. After being exposed to the light, her coloring had inverted.

"It's not enough! We cannot hold him alone!" One of the sages shouted. Link noticed the beams protruding from their bodies, seemingly trying to hold the usurper in place.

"We'll help!" An unfamiliar female voice exclaimed. Six astral projections appeared around the area. The woman who had shouted was a Gerudo, Link noted, only she was much more beautiful than those depicted in books. A Goron had appeared, a woman with a muscular body and white hair that appeared to be a Sheikah, an old man, as well as a Zora and Kokiri he recognized. Despite his wolf form, both Ruto and Saria seemed to recognize him with the latter winking in his direction. "My people… all gone. It's a shame, it really is…" murmured the Gerudo.

The old man held up a hand. "At the ready, sages… Release your power!" A red light shot from the man's fingertips. Yellow shot from the Goron's, blue from the Ruto's, orange from the Gerudo's, purple from the Sheikah's, and green from Saria's. Their resulting blasts knocked Zant into the wall and to the ground. He grunted and raised his hand.

"I will not be defeated so easily…"

"Can it. You're a coward!" shouted the Gerudo woman. The other sages were staring at the mirror where black cracks were forming.

The old man seemed puzzled. "Hmm. What is this…?"

The cracks separated the mirror into four sections. If Zant was surprised, then he did not show it. Instead, three of the pieces dissolved into twilight fragments and disappeared. "There… I will leave you one piece, to remind you of what almost was… Not that I expect Midna to last that long. False sages, fools…" Without any other words, Zant disappeared as well, causing the twilight to also fade away.

**XxX**

From the middle of the desert - or, she corrected herself, wherever the hell she was in the godforsaken place, - Glenna had noticed a change of scenery in the distance. Atop the prison, the mirror chamber, the sky had been twilight though it was very clearly sunny and morning. She bit down on her lip as nervousness filled her. It was obvious that Zant was doing something and that she was very much at fault.

Glenna covered her face as a sudden gust of wind scattered the sand in her general direction. Maybe, at one point, the Gerudo Desert had been pretty or, at the very last, had not looked like such a wasteland… but it did not matter to her because it was only standing in her way. She pulled on the neck of her shirt a little, amazed that it was so warm already. As she started working her way down a dune, another gust of wind blew, and sand flew into her eye, causing Glenna to lose her footing and slip to the ground.

A guttural yell escaped her throat as she pounded the sand with her fists. _'What am I doing? What do I even think I'm doing? It'll take hours to scale the prison to the top and even if I do make it up there… Then what?' _Though she could be known for making rash decisions, Glenna knew that this wasn't something she wanted to. Not when it involved Zant or her betrayal. How could she even begin to explain, if she even got the chance?

**XxX**

Midna looked, if possible, worse than before. Her breathing was labored, and her eyes were barely open. Link hovered over her, completely unsure of what to do. In the current moment, all he could do was worry about her. He wasn't even concerned about being a wolf. "Problematic," noted the old man in the red robes.

"'Problematic'?" exclaimed the Gerudo. "That didn't even come close to what we planned! That went completely wrong!"

"Nabooru…" protested the man.

The Sheikah, however, inclined her head. "She is correct, Rauru. The hero is a beast, even in the light."

Ruto stomped her foot somewhat. "We're only ghosts, sillhoutes! What could we possibly do?"

"We're sages," corrected Saria in a soft voice, "regardless of whether or not anyone believes in our existence anymore."

The Goron pounded his chest. "They're all right. We were mistaken."

"How can we fix this?" pondered the older man, Rauru. "We are not quite so powerful anymore…"

"Princess Zelda," replied the translucent Sage of Light, still lingering atop his pillar. "She will be able to fix this."

The Sheikah nodded. "But, of course."

Ruto seemed a little nervous. "Well, there. You'll be in good hands, Link. And so will your friend." He wanted to ask her how she knew, how she could even be sure… Midna was struggling to breathe.

"Trust us," implored Saria, pausing momentarily as if she wanted to say more. "This time… when we say goodbye, it'll be for good, but… You'll be okay. All of you."

In the blink of his eyes, Link found that he was no longer burning under the desert sun but in the middle of Hyrule Field. He glanced behind him and found Midna on his back but she was draped over him, looking as desperate as he had ever seen her. _'Princess Zelda,' _he reminded himself before starting at a dash, making sure that Midna did not fall. Visiting the castle seemed like an unwise decision, but he had no clue where else he would find her and started for Castle Town, ignoring the fact that it was daylight and he was a fearful beast.

**XxxxxX**

Zelda had managed to enter and exit the fishing hole without the girl inside the shack taking any notice. The dream had filled her with dread but, at the same time, a curious sensation, though she was not sure that the dream had caused it. Something was pulling at her to return to Castle Town - not necessarily the castle, and so she did. With her hood pulled up, she stood near a pillar in the shadows in the Central Square. It did not take long for her to figure out why her intuition had led her back.

Screams erupted from the western road, and people were soon rushing in all sorts of directions. "A beast!" shrieked a woman as she grabbed her two children, a boy and a girl who both seemed to be about seven, and dashed through the road.

_'Beast?' _repeated Zelda as she braced herself, reaching through her cloak to grab the hilt of her rapier. She expected to see a Bokoblin or a Bulbin - after all, Glenna had said that the monsters were increasing in number - but all she saw was a frantic wolf with a strange creature on its back. It barely took her a moment to recognize the wolf, and she stepped in front of him. "Calm down, Link," she mumbled shortly before seizing him by the nape of the neck and dragging him.

The guards, cowering as close to the walls as they could manage, simply watched her pass them by as she headed in the direction of the castle. Link did not fight her, not really, which let her know that he remembered her. Once they were past the guards, she released him, and he followed her up to the bridge. Zelda bent down and touched Midna gently. "What happened?" she asked him, then shook her head. "No, forget it. It can wait. We need a safe place to go… Do you know of any."

_'Kakariko Village,' _Link's voice echoed in her mind. Zelda nodded and their bodies were immediately enveloped in a strange green light.

Before Link knew what was what, he found himself standing on the edge of Kakariko Village with Zelda beside him. He looked up at her. _'I know a shaman lives here, but I don't know how much help he can be,' _she reasoned.

_'Avon, Glenna's sister. She's trustworthy,' _he informed her. Link gave her a quick description before she nodded.

"Mm. Alright, but you must stay out of sight. If anyone sees you…" Zelda knew she did not have to finish her sentence; he had already learned quick enough in Castle Town. Her eyes settled on a small cave up ahead. "There. Stay there, and I'll join you shortly. And…" She gently picked Midna off of his back and cradled her in her arms. "Stay out of sight, Link," she repeated, then she was off.

Link immediately moved into the cave and moved far enough into it that no one would notice him. He curled up in a corner, wrapping his tail ahead of him as he tried not to worry, and there were so many things to worry about. Midna was near death but he had found Zelda fast enough that she should be able to fix things. Then, there was the fact that Glenna was helping Zant, and he had picked up her fairly recent scent while standing on the bridge outside of the castle. Finally, there was the fact that he was still a wolf.

A gasp somewhere to his right sounded. Link lifted his head and found someone staring at him, a familiar someone: Ilia. One hand was clutching her chest while the other covered her mouth; her eyes were wide with fear. _'Ilia!' _Just what he needed, and there was certainly no way for this to end well. Instead of standing and attempting to look like a friendly dog, he remained on the ground to try and convey that he was not going to hurt her.

Ilia swallowed hard and put the hand covering her mouth to her chest as well. It was apparent that she had no idea what to do or say; she was frozen with fear. _'I can't make her realize who I am… She doesn't even know who I actually am anyway, but…' _

"You're… not going to hurt me," spoke Ilia slowly as the realization came upon her. "You almost seem… as confused as me… But, that's silly, isn't it? You're a beast." Ilia's eyebrows furrowed together. "…And I… I hate beasts… One once tricked my mother, and it slit her throat…" A moment later, her hands fluttered back to her mouth. "…That's right! My mother… I had forgotten, but now…" Ilia slowly lowered herself to the ground, keeping a safe distance between herself and Link nonetheless.

"It's funny… I'm talking to you, but I feel like I know you… You helped me remember what happened to my mother, and I didn't even realize I had forgotten…" Ilia looked at him and, for a moment, he almost felt like she _saw _him; she recognized him. Then, the look faded.

In the meantime, Zelda found Avon standing near Malo Mart, stroking Avianna's back fondly. "Excuse me?" The girl jumped at her voice and turned around slowly. She almost appeared disappointed to see Zelda's cloaked form.

"Oh, you startled me… Are you passing through?" wondered Avon.

"No, I was actually looking for you." This seemed to surprise her.

"Do I… know you?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, but a friend told me that you can help…" For the first time, Avon looked down into Zelda's arms and jumped back a little.

"Wh-what is that?"

"A friend, of mine, of Link's and… of your sister's." There eyes met momentarily, and all of Avon's uncertainty seemed to fade away. "Is there anywhere that we can speak in private?"

Avon chewed on her lip as she considered this. Zelda was reminded of Glenna. "Follow me." She moved past the Sanctuary building and under the archway leading to the cemetery. It was a curious place for a meeting but, she expected, the most private indeed. "How… exactly do you know my sister, and how does she know that…?"

"Avon, I have heard little about you and the rest of your family," remarked Zelda in an even voice. "What I have heard is good but, given your reaction, you must be different than what Glenna let on. However, Link tells me I can trust you, so I need you to prove your worth. Tell no one else of what I am about to tell you, is that clear?" Avon nodded her head frantically. "Alright…" Zelda threw back her hood, and a small gasp escaped Avon's lips.

"Y-you're Princess Zelda!" cried Avon, immediately throwing her body into a curtsey. "I had heard that Glenna-"

With a small smile on her lips, Zelda said, "We can talk more later, but I need you to help me. This 'thing' as you so kindly referred to her, is a twili by the name of Midna. I do not know the circumstances of her injuries, but it is apparent that she is nearing the end of her life; I would guess she was exposed to light, which is something that the twili cannot do." She stopped there, unsure of what she wanted to ask of Avon or how the girl could even help.

"Z-Zelda…" groaned Midna in a voice barely above a whisper.

Zelda shook her head. "Save your strength, Midna. I promise that I will find a way to restore you."

"I…It doesn't matter. Zant separated the mirror of twilight into pieces… and Link is cursed… You need to lead the curse and… help him find the pieces so that… Zant must be stopped, and he-"

Zelda shook her head once again. "Hush now. I… know what must be done. You will be fully recovered soon enough." She carefully placed Midna on the ground and also crouched down; Avon did the same.

"I will do anything I can to help. What do you need?"

Zelda pulled the leatherbound book out from beneath her cloak and placed it on the ground. She flipped through the old pages, looking for what she needed. "Ah. Found it." Her finger settled on a specific spell.

"What is it?"

"A soul transfer spell. It is what it sounds like, transferring one's soul to another's body. Midna cannot exist in the light because she is a twili, but if she had the soul of a light dweller, then she would be fine…" Zelda nodded her head once, as if confirming something that Avon had not heard. "Avon, I need you to read off the spell and transfer my soul into Midna's body."

"Wh-what?" demanded both Avon and Midna.

"Please, we must hurry."

Avon, however, shook her head. _'Just as stubborn as her sister, too. What a relief.' _"No, Princess Zelda… you're too important… People need you…" Her resolve seemed to strengthen right away. "Let me do it."

"You…?"

"Yes. I can't do anything but sit around here all day long and wonder when my baby sister is coming back… She's so much stronger than me, and she's been doing all she can to save this place, so… It's my turn. Let me help, please." Her words, Zelda had to admit, made a lot of sense.

Zelda exhaled slowly. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life," assured Avon.

"Alright, then…" Zelda glanced down at the Old Hylian words on the page below her and began to mutter them.

**XxX**

Ilia had promised to tell no one of Link's presence before running off to wherever, leaving him alone for quite some time. When Zelda returned with no Midna, he found himself quite concerned. "Worry not," she assured him and, once she was within a couple feet, Midna sprung out of her shadow looking as good as ever. Link jumped up and his tail began to wag. Midna grinned, but only for a moment. "Miss me?" she inquired before turning back towards Zelda. "What about the girl, Glenna's sister?"

"The shaman, Renado, agreed to watch over her in his Sanctuary."

"Did you tell him anything?"

Zelda shook her head. "Simply to trust me. I allowed him to catch a glimpse of my circlet as I was placing Avon onto the bed, so we shouldn't have to worry."

Midna hovered over to Link. "What about Link?"

"Full of questions today, hm?" asked Zelda with the faintest of smiles. It was quite lovely, even for such a small smile, and barely lasted a minute. "Link, I will…" She raised her right hand, but the Triforce only flashed uselessly. Nothing else happened. "…What is this? This is not the work of the goddesses. This is a curse, the power of dark magic, but there is a way to lift it. Sleeping in the deep forest in the ruins of a once sacred temple is a sword that is said to be the bane of evil. I have no doubt that the sacred blade will lift this curse."

"Faron woods, then? No problem. However, there is… something I forgot to mention." Midna locked her arms behind her back and looked down at the ground. "When Link and I reached the end of the Arbiter's Grounds, we found the skeleton of an ancient monster. But we also found Glenna. She was wielding a twilight sword and said a few things, including that she 'owed Zant a favor'. Then, she used the sword to awaken the beast and disappeared with Zant. We didn't see her again, but… It's worrisome."

Zelda shook her head. "Glenna wouldn't willingly work with Zant. Something must have happened."

"I know that," replied Midna, "but I don't know what or what he plans to use her for."

"I suppose that remains to be seen… We must find her," decided Zelda, "but where? Let me worry about Glenna. Once you have found the sword and Link is back to his normal find, come back here and find me. Then, we'll figure something out." Midna agreed shortly before her and Link's bodies disappeared into twilight fragments.

**XxxxxX**

Midna felt like her head was rushing a little as she and Link landed in the familiar woods. She dropped on his back and yawned. It felt good to be able to stay out in the open in the light world in her 'true' form, but, at the same time, she felt guilty about Avon. _'Brave girl.' _

"Link, I know that I owe you an explanation. And… thank you for trying to defend me; I know it cost you a lot." She glanced up at the sky for a moment and realized just how attached she had become to the world that she had once loathed. The sunlight was so pleasing now, as were all of the colors. "What Zant said about me… It's true. I was chosen to rule the Twilight Realm; I am the Twilight Princess… I didn't tell you because I didn't see the need, but I also haven't felt like much of a ruler. I walked out on my people, essentially, regardless of the reasons. I let Zant catch me with my guard down, I took advantage of the fact that the Twilight Realm is normally peaceful, and I paid dearly for it.

"I know that I could have stopped this, or prevented it, before everything got out of control. I take full responsibility, and I promise that I will help restore the light realm… as well as pry Glenna out of Zant's clutches. And we may have lost nearly all of the Fused Shadows, but… we'll figure out something. As long as we're together, things will work out. I know it."

* * *

**A/n: A bit on the shorter side once more, but the next chapter will be longer, I promise. Hope you enjoyed. Please review, and I will see you in the next installment! **


	24. Traitorous

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**  
Traitorous

**A/n: I'm so sorry for the long lag of updates, and I completely blame that on being overwhelmed by school and other things. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the chapter. :] **

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The view of the lake from the edge of the desert was breath-taking; there was something about the way the sun, with gray clouds surrounding it, glinted off of the water's surface. _'And,' _thought Glenna, _'here I stand, talking to myself because I'm…' _She couldn't make herself say the words, not even in her own mind. Scared. When had she last been truly afraid? It was hard for her to remember.

A strong urge to return to Kakariko Village, or Castle Town, filled her but she couldn't go through with it. How could she see her friends, knowing that she endangered them and betrayed Link and Midna? A strong howl ripped from her throat and echoed off of the cliffs lining the lake below. "Love, there is nothing like it. It makes some into," there was a brief chuckle, "beasts."

Glenna turned, easily maneuvering her canine body through the thick sand. She was not very surprised to see Zant hovering over her, all doom and gloom. The only response she could manage was a low snarl, which only succeeded in amusing him. "But, you see, that is something you don't have to concern yourself with anymore as the one you love is just like you now."

_'Am I really that transparent?' _She said nothing in response and simply stared down Zant while baring her canines. _'He lies. Link couldn't possibly be a wolf. Hyrule has been ridden of the twilight.' _ The image of twilight over the mirror chamber replayed in Glenna's mind; Zant could summon twilight whenever he wanted, it seemed. Zant's current weakened state was apparent. Without another thought of her regrets or fears, she charged at the twili and knocked him into the sand.

"I could kill you so easily," grunted Zant in a voice that would have been threatening had he not sounded so fatigued. "But I believe you will be useful to me. I want you to sabotage Link and Midna."

_'Apparently,' _thought Glenna, _'he doesn't realize that my teeth are just inches away from ripping out his throat.' _For him to feel comfortable with threatening her when he was so obviously weak said something to her: he was either exceedingly arrogant or quite insane. Glenna went with the latter as she stared him down some more.

Zant chuckled. "You have seen my power, foolish girl. You know what I'm capable of. Even given my current weakness, I could easily hurt your friends. I know very well where they all are. Shall I torture the children before I kill them or should I deal them a swift death? Your decision." The image of the Ordon children being tortured, slowly yet surely, by various monsters while Zant watched made Glenna drop onto the sand beside him. "A wise choice. Now, perhaps I can add some fuel to your fire. Lend you some inspiration, hm?" Glenna regarded him with a wary curiosity. "I've had heard from a portion of my army of minions," his eyes glinted, and she recognized his point almost immediately; he was attempting to throw around his weight at her. He wanted to make sure that she knew that he still had the upper hand.

"A girl in Kakariko Village has passed on. Apparently, it was the doing of your hero. You see, so distraught was he over the loss of Midna, he decided he could not go on with her. So he decided to utilize a spell that would restore Midna in return for the life of another. She was so very trusting of him that it was sickeningly easy. Never did she know what was coming until the very end. That girl was your sister, Glenna. What was her name? Avon?"

A new growl rumbled out of her throat. She couldn't believe it. Zant had gone back on his word. It was obvious that he had done something to Avon and was now pinning it on Avon. Glenna couldn't control herself as her feet took off and she was making to attack Zant once more. This time, Zant rose and a light red barrier rose, knocking her back. "Impudent shrew. Are you really so blinded by love that you cannot see the truth?" His eyes were shining, but it was different this time; they appeared to be shining with an angry intensity. "What proof do you need? Her lifeless body, perhaps?"

_'How is that supposed to prove that you weren't responsible?' _She growled in her mind, knowing full well that he would pick it up in a second.

"Perhaps you'll believe the truth when you see them. Shall I point you in their direction?" The intensity had left, and he was playful once more. No doubt, he was picking up on her weakness, her slight believing in his words. Though her body was still tense, and her teeth were still bared, she made no move. "I do not know of their exact location. With his princess," he spat the word, "by his side once more, your hero has sought out a way to cure himself of my curse. I have heard that he is in search of a sword which acts as the bane of evil. Some of the mindless Bokoblins have informed me that the sword is supposed to lay in a temple within two time periods in a decrepit place. Do you know what that place is?" For a change, Zant seemed genuinely curious in what Glenna had to say. Almost eager.

It didn't take very long. The familiar black light of the witch's spell surrounded her body as her bones shifted into an upward position that reverted her to her normal form. "Of course I know where that place is," she mumbled with her eyes closed. If Zant knew that much, there was already danger. If what he said about Avon was true, then there was even more. "There's a small area within Faron, in the middle of a really thick forest. I've only ever heard of it as a legend and read up on it in books of the same nature, but it's worth a shot."

"So that's where I'll be sending the messengers and yourself."

Glenna's eyes snapped open. "'Messengers'? Why?"

"Do you really think I trust you enough to go on your own?" Without giving her a chance to dispute his plan, Zant snapped and Glenna's body fragmented and disappeared.

**XxxxxX**

The area where they were to find the sword was hazy, dark, and full of thick trees. How abnormal, Link thought, for it to be so dark in such a sunny area. Midna gazed around from the great view she had on his back and whistled. "Not the cheeriest place, huh?" Link looked up at her, feeling the irony dripping from her statement. She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. Aren't I the one to judge?" The pressure was relieved from his back as she floated off to get a look at their surroundings, but it was difficult to see more than a few feet before them. "There's something eerie about this place, and it's not just because of the look. Something about the feel of this place is just creepy. Not too different from the Arbiter's Grounds, actually."

That was certainly something Link wanted to hear after the catastrophe that had been the old prison. Midna rejoined him on his back as he padded out of the opening area only to find them standing on a path that forked into three different directions. The third path was not really a path at all, as it was separated by a small pond. Unfortunately, all of them seemed to be blocked off by something that looked like the rings of the inside of a tree trunk. "That's… hardly surprising. Now what?" Link waded into the water, which was deeper than he expected, and Midna flailed at the splash that soaked her. He stood before the path, and poked his nose against the wood, but it was solid.

Almost as soon as Link jumped back into the water, Midna's body tensed and her eyes glanced up toward the top of the cliffs overlooking the area. "Link, move quickly!" Her warning came too late, and Link soon spotted shadows abruptly covering and surrounding his own. He yelped as something sharp ripped into his fur and quickly identified his assailers as a few Stalfos. Though not a walking, talking Bestiary like Glenna, even Link thought it strange to find Stalfos in such an area. Luckily, all of them (including the one that had attacked him) were hopeless as swimming and flailed uselessly in the water. The path on the west side of the enclosure suddenly opened up, and Midna pumped her fist into the air. "It looks like things are looking up. Let's go before these things learn how to swim and that path closes back up!"

Link swam as fast as his four legs would obey and dashed up the path to find themselves in a new area which was as hazy as the first area. Flowers and lots of green grass decorated the area, all muted by the coloring of the air, and were the only signs of life besides a tall, thick tree sitting on a raised part of the ground. The path that they currently stood on wound up further and out of the area, but the humming of a deep instrument drew Link toward the tree. A creature that Link quickly recognized as a Skull Kid was sitting at the base of the tree while playing a somewhat familiar tune on a horn. When Link's shadow was cast over him, he looked up and a wide grin spread across his face. "Ooh, we meet again! It's been so long, which means that you're overdue for a game!"

"Listen, we don't have _time _for games, okay? Just point us in the direction of the place where the Master Sword lies, alright?" Neither questioned how the Skull Kid recognized Link as a wolf and simply went with the assumption that he could sense the same spirit.

The wide grin slowly turned into a frown. "No time for games? Fine. I was gonna let you off easy, but if you want to make it hard…" The Skull Kid floated into the sky and disappeared into a cloud of floating leaves. Out of nowhere, several large medium-sized (and somewhat disturbing-looking) wooden puppets dropped before them and turned their heads at an impossible angle. A giggle alerted them to Skull Kid's presence behind them, and he disappeared up the path that Link had yet to travel. Midna surrounded them with a black barrier, which promptly rescued them from the immediate danger. She leaned back on Link's back and threw her arms into the air. "I never really did like hide and seek, but it seems that's what we're going to be playing. Hide and go seek as in we hide from the killer puppets, and the Skull Kid seeks to run away from us. Let's go, dog boy."

**XxxxxX**

Glenna felt a little disheveled when she landed on the grass, and the feeling increased when she found herself surrounded by the gargantuan Twilight monsters. They simply ignored her and began to prowl around the area which she found was a refreshing relief. It was a horrendous idea to allow the creatures to roam in whatever area they were, which was steadily shaping up to appear as something very important to Hyrule. Below her feet was a large Triforce in a large oval, sort of like a landing platform, and up ahead were a pair of old stone statues wielding axes. She was not sure what they were there for but assumed that had once protected something. _'Maybe,' _she thought as her eyes scanned straight ahead to where a small, crumbling altar lie before a short staircase and winding path, _'they used to protect that.' _

Wherever guards were placed, Glenna had learned in her time, was usually a place of importance. With her guilty thoughts of allowing the beasts to roam and possibly betraying a very important place of Hyrule to Zant, Glenna made a beeline for the stairs and path. When two rusty axes dropped before her, blocking her from her straight line toward the altar, Glenna jumped backwards. Sure, she had expected the guards were decent in their day, but for the two old stones to move on her was nothing short of a shock. "No passage shall be granted to you. This is an important place, only for the eyes of the Royal Family and their allies."

She placed a hand on one of the axes and attempted to move it, but it did not so much as budge an inch. "I _am _their ally," she assured them though, currently, her actions were not much showing that.

"Proof." Glenna dug into the pouch sitting at her hip and pulled out the paper with the Royal Family seal and Zelda's signature. She was not sure if the statues would care but, much to her surprise, the axes were lifted and she was able to walk ahead. "We guards may not be as wise as we once were, but a word of advice to you: you toe the line between friend and foe."

Glenna paused at the base of the path and glanced back at the only active statue. "What's the advice? It sounds more like a statement."

"Perhaps, but it is a statement you should be aware of and take into account." Then, the bluish glow that had revealed the life in the statue faded and it fell quiet once more.

**XxxxxX**

After a decent amount of chasing and getting lost, Link found himself peering over the edge of a cliff. The fog made it difficult for him to see what was below, let alone judge the drop, but they were, quite literally, at a dead end. Midna leaned forward so that her head was almost resting on top of Link's. "I can't tell what's down there at all, but I don't think there's any way that we missed the Skull Kid. We did backtrack two times already. I say we take the plunge, Link." Her tiny fingers latched onto his fur as Link leapt into the darkness. There was no sound except for his howling and Midna's screaming.

Abruptly, the fall was broken, causing Midna to fly off his back and Link to roll across the ground a few times. The Skull Kid's familiar giggle sounded close by, and Link would have been relieved had his legs not hurt so much. A clanging somewhere above his head alerted him to the fact that he was, once again, surrounded by puppets. Link rolled again, but it was cut short by a solid object, which promptly knocked him back and onto his feet. Luckily, the hit allowed him to gather his surroundings. They were standing in a grassy area with a circle of tree stumps surrounding a tall pillar. There was a large arch leading to a new area, but it was blocked off by the familiar wood design from earlier.

Link growled at the puppets (of which there had to have been five), and promptly broke them all apart with a simple spin attack. He looked around for Midna, but more puppets quickly replaced the fallen, leaving him to attack them again. His eyes scanned the area anew, this time searching for the leader of the puppets, who he found standing on one of the tree trunks. The horn was almost to the Skull Kid's lips, ready to summon more troops… He quickly launched himself across the area and knocked the Skull Kid flat on his back. All he caught sight of him was an angry frown before the Skull Kid disappeared and his paws sank into the dirt.

The blaring of a horn warned him that the Skull Kid was immediate behind him. He whirled around to find the fuming creature bellowing his horn atop the extremely tall pillar. More puppets than before appeared at once - about ten or so of them. Link dodged them as they swiped at him and sunk his nails into the vines covering the pillar. He tried to climb up that way, but a couple of the puppets knocked him back to the ground. Before he could stand back up, the puppets moved in on him and raked their wooden fingers against his body.

Link became sure he wouldn't escape from the puppets any time soon as the last of them moved in on him then, suddenly, the crowd was separated by a dangerous black orb that bent and broke the puppets bodies. Annoyed, the Skull Kid looked around for the source of the magic before he, too, was struck by the orb and fell off the pillar. The straggling puppets disappeared immediately, and Link ran over to the Skull Kid. A force dropping hard on his back informed him of Midna's return. Much to his surprise, the Skull Kid was laughing as he jumped back to his feet. "I haven't had fun like this in a long time! You guys can come back anytime! Since you played with me, I'll let you see a secret place…" As it had before, the Skull Kid's body disappeared in a cloud of leaves, but he did not reappear anywhere else. Instead, the wooden barrier that had been blocking off the other area dissolved. It also seemed that Skull Kid had taken the fog with it, and the forest became alight with bright sunshine that made it seem much less dreary.

"I can feel it, we're almost there," remarked Midna as she floated off of Link's back while they walked into the new area. "How are your legs?" Admittedly, in the heat of the fight (perhaps due to all of the other pain Link had been feeling), he had forgotten that his legs hurt at all. Now that Midna brought it up, they ached intensely. "Eee hee hee! Sorry about that, I guess I shouldn't have said anything… Whatever would you do without me, hm? If I had been laying on my back for much longer, those puppets would have torn you apart!" A begrudging growl rumbled out of Link's throat, but Midna only grinned wider and patted his head. Without warning, she removed her head and tensed her body. She also stopped where she hovered, and Link did the same while trying to find the cause. It did not take very long.

Three formidable-looking Twilight beasts were roaming around the area, sticking to a small portion of it as they could not get up the stairs on the east side because they were covered with debris. "How could Zant have known?" hissed Midna. The beasts noticed him with relative quickness and sped in on him. Link and Midna had become relatively good at destroying them and, a moment later, the beasts disappeared, leaving no trace of themselves but the portal that hung overhead. "Zant could be here somewhere," mumbled Midna appearing distressed, "we should be very, very careful."

Link started in the direction of the path behind the altar. There was something familiar to him about the area, but he couldn't quite place it. Whatever it was told him to go up the winding path, and he trusted it. Two axes suddenly dropped into Link's path, hindering him, and he looked up at the worn statues. "No passage shall be granted to you. This is an important place, only for the eyes of the Royal Family and their allies."

"I think we can persuade you," replied Midna in a smooth voice as she floated off of Link's back and landed on the ground beside him. She grabbed his left paw, earning a slight annoyed growl from him, and raised it. The Triforce symbol glowed at her touch.

"I… see. We did think it odd to see a beast such as yourself in this place. After all, I don't think we have ever seen a beast with a pierced ear before," remarked one of the statues as the axes were lifted. "You are not alone. One already lies in wait ahead."

Midna became nervous once more. "Someone's up there already? Who?" Link already knew who she was thinking of, because he was thinking the same: Zant.

"One who is related to the Royal Family." Midna exchanged a puzzled look with Link. Why would Zelda have forced them to come to the Sacred Grove on their own and then waited for them? It seemed strange, but neither of them questioned it as they followed the sloping, winding path, which was surround by an ornate archway. The sacred area was much more sparse than either of them expected. In fact, the only thing that stood in the enclosed section was a pedestal and a sword. There was signs that the area might have once actually been enclosed: small walls surrounded the section, though trees were growing atop the area. Some glass even lay on the ground, as if windows had once stood in the area. It was also empty of any people.

"That's it, Link," whispered Midna excitedly as her eyes fell on the purple hilt of the sword. "This place looks so old, though. I wonder if the sword's really that useful… Sometimes Hylians exaggerate a little, and Princess Zelda is no exception." As soon as Link started toward the sword, something in the atmosphere changed as if to inform them that this was no ordinary sword. The closer he got, the harder it was to move forward like a wind was trying to blow him away from the old blade. Midna could not remain on his back any longer and had to hang off to the side while Link fought to approach the pedestal. Once he was close enough to touch it with his nose, the air kicked up and a blindingly bright light engulfed the area, forcing Midna to avert her eyes.

The light receded, and Midna looked toward where the wolf had been just moments ago, but it was there no longer. Instead, Link was standing, triumphant, with the sword clenched in his hand. Midna's eyes widened for a moment before a smile stretched across her face. "It's you! I was afraid I was starting to figure out what you really looked like, you know… So I guess this means you get a new sword, huh?"

Link nodded as he swiped the sword a few times to get a good feel for it. It already felt really good in his hand. Really good, and really familiar. "I don't think I've ever been more comfortable with a blade."

"I think the sword feels the same about you," noted Midna before looking around. "Aha!" She picked something off of the ground and floated up to Link to show it to him. Between her fingers was a black crystal with red lines in it.

"What is that?" he asked, reaching out to grab it.

Midna promptly made the crystal disappear. "I don't think so, unless you're eager to turn back into a beast! _That _is the embodiment of the curse Zant placed on you. It's pretty dangerous to keep. Just one touch will have you walking on four legs again. I should probably get rid of it…" A slow, mischievous grin spread across her face. "But… wouldn't it be funny? We could use this magic against Zant, and you can turn into a wolf whenever you please. Hm, what do you think? Should we keep it?"

Link thought about everything that Glenna had done as a wolf. How he had been left to wait on the sidelines while she carried out tasks only she could do as a wolf. It would give them an upper hand for sure. He nodded. "We should definitely keep it. Zant gave it to us. It would be wrong of us to just get rid of it."

"I love the way you think. Well, we should go back to Kakariko and see Zelda. Maybe she'll be able to help us figure out where the remainder of the shards are. You want me to warp us back there?"

"I don't think I'm ready to leave yet. Can we look around a little first?"

Midna's eyebrows knitted together, but she didn't question him. Instead, she shrugged and, in an offhanded manner, commented, "I thought those statues said someone was already here. Maybe their timing is off… But it couldn't have been Zelda, anyway. She would have noticed those Twilight beasts. She would have done something about them."

Link was listening, but barely. Something was calling to him. What was it? The sword? His own conscious? Either way, he found himself turning back toward the pedestal. An irresistible urge to strike the Master Sword back into its pedestal filled him. Before he knew it, he was clenching the sword with both hands and plunging it back into its sleeping stone once more. "What are you doing?" Midna's voice sounded faint in his ears.

Something changed again. "Can you feel that? I bet you can." Link had half-expected to hear the words in Midna's voice, but it definitely wasn't. The voice was higher-pitched and, in the moment, somewhat breathy. Midna and Link spun around, but they still did not see anyone. Until they looked up. Standing at the edge of the forest above the walls was…

"Glenna!" called Midna. "I can't believe it…"

"Really? I thought I was the only one who was in shock here." There was a hard edge to Glenna, and she sounded uncharacteristically angry.

Link took a few steps in her direction. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? How can you not see what's wrong?" she demanded. "I don't know how to admit my surprise. My shock. My disbelief! Link, my sister _liked _you. She trusted you! But she's naïve like that, I guess. Me, too."

He shook his head. "I don't get what you're saying, Glenn."

"Don't 'Glenn' me, alright? I know what you've done! You sacrificed my sister! You took advantage of her! You took her fucking freedom! If she wanted that, she would have stayed with our parents. Now the same thing's going to happen : her body's going to rot." Glenna put a hand to her forehead. "My sister, I may have not liked seeing her in the very beginning, but I loved her. She was my sister. The only person I had. You _took _that security from me. Why? Why do you have to keep taking my security from me?"

Midna shook her head. "Stop, Glenna! It's obvious that you're taking out your anger at what Zant did to you on us. We didn't do anything to your sister!"

"You standing there is proof enough that you did!" exclaimed Glenna. "You… There are no words, no excuses! I… I…!" She leapt off of the ledge and dashed toward Midna with her sword drawn. Midna did not seem like she was going to stop the attack, so Glenna was surprised when her sword clanged against something else, another sword.

Link started to push down Glenna's blade. "Stop it, you're not thinking clearly!"

"Shut up!" She refused to look him in the eyes, which was easily noticeable by both Link and Midna.

"Or maybe this isn't about Zant. Maybe it never was. Maybe this is about you as a traitor," hissed Midna. "Princess Zelda would have never allowed those monsters to roam in this sacred place. But you? You thought it was a fine idea. I won't even entertain the thought that you just wound up in here and were trying to escape from the beasts and Zant. No, you came _with _them, didn't you? It's not such a surprise, not really. You did try to kill Link and I after all."

Glenna yelled something incoherent as her rage at Midna reached a different level, but Link was a great deal stronger than her. She slowly let her sword down and took a few steps backwards. Link watched her with wary eyes and did not rest his sword until she slid hers in its scabbard. "Glenna, what happened to you? What did Zant do?"

"He did nothing. This is all her," snarled Midna. "The true girl is revealed at last. What is it Glenna, what? Did you maybe get mad because I left you out of the action? Maybe you got tired of playing the assistant. Did he promise you the title of Twilight Princess? I bet that's what you want: royalty."

"Midna," warned Link, but it came too late. Glenna's body erupted and the only part of her that was visible was a white blur as she sped toward Midna. Link reacted too late, but Midna easily moved out of the way. The white wolf did not stop to right herself but kept right on running. Link and Midna followed her just in time to see her leap across the debris on the stairs and disappear behind the door at the top of the stairs. She didn't seem to move past the door but, at the same time, the door did not open to admit her. "Where'd she go?"

They tried to get up the stairs, but it was an impossible feat, so they went through an old tunnel on the left side of the platform and climbed up a box. Then, they walked up to the door from behind. There was no sign of Glenna or where she had gone to. "What the…?" Midna floated over to the doors, which bore the symbol of the Royal Family. "When Glenna asked you if you could 'feel it', I wonder if this is what she was talking about? It feels like a different flow… See if you can open the doors."

"But we'll just see straight through," reasoned Link, though he hardly believed it himself. Glenna had not simply disappeared. He threw open the rusty bronze doors and, for a moment, he saw a different room in black and white. "Should we go?" he asked with a glance toward Midna.

She nodded. "Let's." They stepped through the doorway and onto a repaired version of the stairs. As they moved through, it felt like they were breaking through the surface of water, as if they had passed through a watery veil. "If I had to guess - and I think I'm right about this - then I would say that this is a past version of the place we were just standing in beyond the door. It seems to me that we just traveled to the past."

"I think you're right," agreed Link as he descended the staircase and glanced around. The room was colored with earthy tones, and two very strong beams of light shone through large stained glass windows on either side of him. Even the statues stood there before the altar, all of which looked much newer. "This is weird."

"I bet this is only the beginning. Let's keep going." They walked through the doorway and found themselves in an enclosed room with a circle of smaller stained glass windows shining light into it. The pedestal was still there, looking much more in shape than it did in the forest. "It's the same place, but probably about… a hundred or so years ago. But there's nothing in here. See if putting the sword back in the pedestal does anything." Link walked up to the pedestal while Midna hung back and placed two hands on the hilt once more. He plunged the sword back into the stone and, suddenly, a translucent, icy-blue colored staircase appeared. As the staircase appeared, the window directly before it disappeared to reveal a doorway. Midna returned to his side. "I would have never expected that _this _is what we were going to get today."

It was true, the day had been quite long, and they had yet to rest. With Midna newly restored, and Link back in his true body, neither wanted to take a moment to rest. They just wanted to keep plunging on. "I don't want you to collapse from exhaustion. Maybe we should stop?" suggested Midna.

Link shook his head as he reclaimed his sword. "No, we've come too far. We can't just turn back now. I'll be fine, I promise." Something scratched against the ground behind them, hindering Midna from arguing, as Ooccoo and Jr. passed them by, climbing up the stairs and disappearing behind the door. "Hey, Ooccoo! Wait!" Midna and Link quickly ran up the stairs in hot pursuit of the two creatures.

Beyond the door, they found a large room. Straight ahead, they found a large door with a gate over it with a statue before and to the right of it. There was an open spot on the left, making both come to the conclusion that another statue should have been there. "Now what?" asked Midna, if not a little impatiently.

"We meet again, fellow traveler!" chirped Ooccoo.

"Ooccoo, what are you doing in a place like this?"

"This is an important place to Jr. and I. This is where the technology of our race lies, I can nearly taste it, it's so close… Jr. and I have been searching for a way to get home, and I know this is it! What do you say? Shall we team up? I'll help you if you help me."

A little bewildered, Link nodded. "Yeah, alright. Sounds good."

Ooccoo nodded her small head. "Might I suggest the staircase on the other side of the room?" Then, without another word, she and Jr. disappeared into Link's pouch.

"These encounters with Ooccoo make me really not want to meet the rest of her race," remarked Midna, "but her plan sounds good. Let's take the door at the top of the staircase. It's clear that _something _important's here somewhere. I'm going to leave this to you for now while I get some rest. Good luck!" Midna plunged into Link's shadow and he found himself on his own. The room almost felt eerie now that he was alone.

_'Hopefully, we don't find Glenna. I don't know if I can handle seeing her again.' _ Link made for the large staircase, tentatively walking up it until he found no aversions. Then, he ran the rest of the day and walked through the door.

**XxxxxX**

A few minutes later, Glenna entered the Master Sword's chamber. She had been hiding in one of the small corridors in the wall behind the stairway until she was sure that she was by herself. "I can't believe it. The Temple of Time. I thought that this was just a legend, but clearly I was wrong." Glenna pinched the bridge of her nose and released a sigh. _'What was I thinking? Attacking Midna and Link like that…' _

_ 'Anything to take the blame from yourself, hm?' _A very unwelcome voice remarked. She longed for the days where Zelda had spied on her and chastised her through her mind. If she had thought it was bad back then, then the new arrangement was nothing short of horrific. _'Fret not, dearest Glenna. Follow them into the temple. Chase them down. But do _not _allow them to gain entry to the room that the statues guard. If they make it through there, then they will reach the shard of the mirror, and no one wants that, do they?' _

_'What if some of us do?' _

_ 'Then,' _his voice had become icy, _'you will come to realize that I have been quite generous with you so far. I have no problem showing you the true meaning of hell. If you think that you are upset now, just wait until I get through with you. Nothing funny, do you hear me? Do as I request, and all will be well.' _The presence left her mind, and Glenna, still tense from when he first spoke, slowly started up the clear staircase and through the door. She quickly learned what Zant was referring to when she spotted the statue on the north side of the room, but she only saw one.

Glenna entered the room a little more and turned around to find another path. As she started for the staircase, something relatively hard hit the side of her face. With a groan, Glenna lifted her hand and touched her cheek, but nothing was there. The flitting of wings sounded close to her ear, as did a small voice. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! All of these people here just has me so disorientated!"

"Who is that?" asked Glenna when she did not find the source of the voice immediately.

"Sorry!" squeaked the voice again. "Over here!" Glenna looked straight ahead where a small, bluish orb of light with large, translucent wings hovered before her.

"A… fairy? Don't fairies usually… not talk?"

The orb of light moved up and down frantically, as if it were annoyed. "Maybe most fairies, but I'm not like most fairies! I was once a forest fairy, a guide to Kokiri children. If you've met fairies that don't speak, then they obviously had nothing important to say. But I have a _lot _of important things to say."

"Do you?" asked Glenna in a nervous voice. "That's wonderful. Do you know this place well?"

"The Temple of Time? Sure. A century will do that to you. I'm Navi, and you are…?"

"Glenna."

Navi hovered up and down in an excited fashion. "Nice to meet you, Glenna! I'll help you get through this place no problem!"

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**A/n: Haha, yes, Navi. :] I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Please review, and I will update as soon as possible!**


	25. Follow Me Down

**Chapter Twenty-Five:  
**Follow Me Down

**A/n: This update comes at a very strange time, and I apologize. xD' Also sorry about the lag in updates! I promise the rest of the story will be updated without skipping another year, honest. xD My love of OoT simply shines through in this story, doesn't it? :3 The Temple of Time won't be too long; it'll either end this chapter or the next. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I only own my OCs!**

'_Baby, baby, here we are all crazy/  
You don't have to worry/  
Na, na, na-na-na.'_

**-"Follow Me Down" by 30H!3 ft. Neon Hitch**

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"Midna, what exactly makes you think that a fragment of the mirror's here?" It was not the first time that Link had asked the question, but he continued to repeat himself only because the imp refused to answer. She hovered a little ahead of him and pretended that the walls were very interesting to her. With his voice raised a little louder, he called, "Midna!"

At long last, she stopped examining the walls and stopped about a foot in front of him. "I'm not sure," she admitted, "seeing as how we haven't met any beasts in here yet, but doesn't it seem like the perfect place to hide such a thing? Very hidden. I wonder if anything else was ever hidden here before."

His reply only sufficed of a, "hm." Link's eyes continuously scanned their surroundings, searching for a shock of pale hair or the hem of a white dress sweeping around a corner, but he had seen nothing so far. Glenna was in here; she had to be.

**XxxxxX**

The Temple of Time somehow managed to appear as if it had recently been built. Unlike all previous temples, this one's architecture was in pristine shape. Its only major flaws were that it was covered with dust and smelled somewhat stale. And, for whatever reason, Glenna continued to see depictions of sages wielding a rod. There were no books in the castle dedicated to the Temple of Time, though some mentioned it, briefly, it was widely thought that it was a mythical place. So far, she was willing to agree. As they walked up an empty staircase, Glenna paused on one of the landings to get a look through the window, but it appeared to be made of frosted glass, and she couldn't see. "To be a fairy guide to a Kokiri, you must be pretty old," she remarked conversationally as she continued to squint through the glass. It was an altogether different experience for her to be talking to a fairy, and even stranger to have said fairy as a companion.

Once again, Navi bobbed up and down to reveal her annoyance. "I've been here for a very long time, and I haven't seen any people for a while."

"Well, I'd say. The Kokiri have been gone for Goddesses know how long. The Great Deku Tree is withered and contains the Forest Temple now." The news seemed to surprise, and upset, Navi, whose wings deflated a little. Glenna promptly changed the subject. "But, uh, how'd you get here anyway?"

Navi seemed to deflate even more at the question. "I went on a journey with a Kokiri - but not-a-Kokiri - boy a long time ago. It was a duty given to me by the Great Deku Tree. At the end of our adventure, we separated. I went through the window in the Temple of Time… and found a whole other temple inside! I've been here since."

"Why did you separate?" Glenna was relieved to have some company; talking to her made it so much easier not to think about anything.

Again, the fairy seemed not to enjoy the question. "He… and I…" Out of the corner of her eye, it appeared that Navi had turned a little pinker. "He wasn't really a Kokiri, so I had to leave him once we finished."

"But you didn't go back to the forest…"

Navi, who had been bouncing up and down in an erratic fashion, abruptly changed the subject. "How did you get here? When I came here with L- him, we never found this place!"

"I'm not too sure," she admitted. "I was hiding in an area that made it hard to see into the sword chamber, but I think he just… put the Master Sword into a pedestal."

Again, Navi jumped, but it was in order to show her concern. "The Master Sword? He? Who took the Master Sword? And L- he, put the sword into the pedestal multiple times and all that happened was he… Was he…"

Glenna's curiosity was drawn by the fairy's sudden change in demeanor. "What? What happened? C'mon, Navi, you can trust me!"

"Glenna, watch out!" She turned in the general direction she assumed Navi was looking in just in time to see a pair of Lizalfos dashing toward her. Glenna promptly unsheathed her sword and swung it with two hands. The familiar rhythm of battle distracted her, and she almost welcomed it. The first Lizalfos easily dodged her burly swing, while the second had to duck in order to keep its head. Never had she wanted to stab her sword into anything more than she did at that moment. It seemed that Navi's constant bobbing served as a decent distraction, as the Lizalfos weren't quite sure what to make of her. Taking advantage of their wandering eyes, Glenna plunged her sword through the chest of the first and, quickly, into the side of the other. They fell atop each other before dissolving into nothingness. With an exhilarated sigh, she wiped the sheen of sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand.

Navi appeared to be considering Glenna. "I've never seen… a girl fight like that before!"

"Thanks. I've never held a fight on a staircase before, so that was interesting, but I've never seen another girl fight like me before," admitted Glenna without arrogance. "Zelda's not bad, though. She definitely wasn't a bad mentor."

"The Princess? Things have changed since I first entered this temple…" decided Navi.

Glenna nodded. "That'll happen when you've been isolated for about one-hundred years. What were you going to say before those Lizalfos cut us off?"

After a moment of hesitation, she answered, "Plunging the Master Sword back into its pedestal, or taking it out, is supposed to change time. Putting it back into the pedestal made us go into the past, and taking it out did the opposite."

"There definitely was something strange about walking through the doorway. Everything looked black and white, and the flow of time even seemed off. I don't even know what time period we're in right now, but it's not the one in which I started. If you could ever leave this place, I bet the Kokiri and Great Deku Tree would be fine. Even your friend might be okay."

Navi bobbled quickly. "D'you really think so? I'm starting to think I might be ready to go back home, but…"

"But what?"

"…I'm ashamed. I've been gone for so long that, even if I can go back, I don't even know if I'd be wanted."

"Your friend would want you, if nothing else. Friends… always forgive." Navi seemed to be watching Glenna with skepticism, but the girl's attention was focused on the room hey had just entered.

"Hey, listen! I know what to do!" Navi was shouting, but Glenna had already walked away, past two golden switches that were likely supposed to open the golden gate on the east side of the room. She stuck the toe of her boot into one of the gaps of the gate and lifted herself atop it, pulling her boot out before her ankle became twisted. Then, she dropped onto the other side, leaving Navi to float in the center of the room with a bewildered expression.

**XxX**

Link tentatively entered the next room with Midna floating somewhat behind him. He had already taken notice of the gang of Lizalfos skulking throughout the room, and he was attempted to make a quick strategy in his head. It would have been so simple, he thought, for Midna to assist, but she seemed only interested in observing him. As soon as he stepped off the last stair and into the room, the Lizalfos froze in their tracks and stared at him, which might have been comical if, a second later, the group hadn't surged at him as a whole.

He lifted the Master Sword quickly, blocking most of the weapons from hitting him, but one of the reptiles had a thought to stab _beneath _the sword. With a grunt, Link lowered the sword only slightly and took a few steps backwards. _'So much for a plan.' _As quickly as he could, he drew the sword somewhat behind him and spun it in an arc before the Lizalfos had a chance to surge in on him again. The ones that did get too close were immediately hurtled across the room and into a window. A line of greenish blood dripped down the wall as one of the Lizalfos slid onto a step and disintegrated.

When the final two Lizalfos approached him, he hit the closest one in the face with his shield and leaped over them both to promptly stab them in the backs. "Not bad for a gang of Lizalfos," remarked Link in reference to the minor slash he had on his abdomen.

"Don't get too cocky, watch out!" Link whirled around and noticed that he had bumped into a tribal-like, short statue wielding a hammer and small shield.

Link raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was supposed to fear. "What? A statue?"

With an exaggerated sigh, Midna remarked monotonously, "No, the thing behind you." Again, Link turned and found a creature he had somehow managed to miss, which was odd considering it was slightly taller than himself. It wore a helmet with a long horn atop it and fierce-looking teeth (though Link was not sure if they belonged to the helmet or the creature beneath it), as well as thick armor. The sharp edge of its spear was pointed directly at Link's throat.

"Thanks for the warning," mumbled Link through gritted teeth as the thing growled at him. Its spear was too long, so its body was about a foot away from him, thus completely out of reach. Link hatched a quick plan, as he backed up completely against the statue and rolled onto the ground and behind the creature, which looked around for him with clear confusion. Link quickly sank his blade beneath the creature's armor and into its brown fur, and it fell to the ground, though not defeated. At the same time, the statue before it was beginning to glow blue markings. It waved around its hammer, carelessly attacking and defeating its comrade with a blow to the back in the process, and steadily made its way toward Link.

Midna did a 360 in the air in order to get a good look at the statue. "I guess that thing _is _a threat. Who'd have thought? Why don't you try what you just did with the Moblin?" Link did not question how she knew the name of the beast he and the Armos had slain and simply rolled around behind it. When he reached its back, Link leapt up and noticed a blue crystal, which he promptly shattered with the tip of his sword. The Armos began to jump around wildly as shafts of white light escaped its body. "I suggest you move!" remarked Midna although she grabbed Link's hand and wrenched him out of harm's way, just in time for the Armos to explode, sending bits of rock all over the room.

"I guess that makes up for the lack of help," said Link as he looked from where the Armos had been standing to Midna floating beside him.

"You're welcome," she replied with a grin and, guiltily, he was reminded of Glenna.

**XxX**

Navi seemed skeptical of Glenna's motives and, as soon as they were in another staircase, she rounded on her. "How did you get into this temple? You mentioned a 'he' putting the Master Sword into the pedestal…"

Glenna raised her eyebrows as she backed into a corner, and into a cold window, to get a better look at the buzzing fairy. "My old friend," she started in an defensive tone. "I sort of followed him here but, mostly, I was… sent here to sabotage him."

Something on the fairy seemed to chime as she bounced up and down in the air. "That's awful! Why would you do something like that?"

"The person who sent me has threatened my loved ones! And, besides, my friend has betrayed me in the worst way possible. He doesn't even deserve to be called my friend!" Though her tone the pitch of her voice was hot, it was beyond obvious that even Glenna barely believed her words.

Navi assaulted her personal space for a second time. _'She's quite pushy,' _decided Glenna. "How? Did he attack you? Hurt you?"

With pursed lips, she responded, "I've been informed that he sacrificed my sister's soul to restore his own friend."

"Informed by a close confident of yours?"

"…Well, no…"

"Then, who?"

Glenna chewed on her lower lip and lowered her eyes to the tiled floor. Was she really being interrogated by a fairy? "An… enemy. Our main enemy, actually." Her voice was too matter-of-fact.

"WHAT?" Navi's voice was shockingly loud, and Glenna shot about a foot into the air. "You would believe the words of your enemy over the words of your friend?" When she did not get an answer, she continued suspiciously, "did you even ask your friend about it?" Another pause, followed by a surprised, "You didn't!"

"There was a lot of yelling going on. Midna and I might have been too busy accusing each other for Link to even say anything," admitted Glenna, and Navi's jolt at Link's name went unnoticed.

Navi fluttered her wings frantically. "This is awful! Your friend isn't even guilty, and you went on accusing him and getting mad! Horrible! I've never, ever seen it in my life. I've seen horrible things, but even Ganondorf never betrayed his own!"

Glenna's jaw might have dropped. "Did you just compare me to one of the most villainous men that Hyrule has ever known?"

"You deserve it," came Navi's smug reply.

The words were like a slap to the face, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for Glenna to hide her outrage and control her temper. "I can't believe it; I'm being scolded by a fairy! Well, fine. What do you suggest I do?" Finally, her temple boiled over, and she spat, "You ran out on your friend, too, after all."

Navi seemed to turn a shade pinker once more. "But that was different. I did it for his own good. Did you?"

"Sort of! Remember, my loved ones' lives are at stake! If I turn on Zant's orders now and help Link," another flinch went unseen, "nothing good will come of it. He will hurt the people I love, and I've only just found those people."

"You mentioned the Princess before," Navi's tone seemed oddly bitter at the mention of Zelda. "You must be friends with her. Of course she can protect those people! The royal family is closely associated with the Goddesses!"

Glenna shook her head as she moved past Navi and continued up the stairs. "You can't be suggesting that the Triforce of Wisdom will help us? That's Wisdom, not Power; it can't protect anyone."

Navi flew before her face again. "You'll never know until you try, unless you _want _to give up on your Link? If that's the case, then you should just admit that rather than pretending!"

"Have you always been this annoying and pushy, or is this something that's sprung from you being alone for so long?" asked Glenna irritably, successfully shutting Navi up and quelling her own temper. "I'm sorry, that was… Sorry. I will consider what you said. Now, if you could help me with something, I'd sincerely appreciate it. You know the first room in this temple? The one with the statue on the north side?" Navi seemed to nod. "Do you know how to get past it?"

"Sure, you need the other statue!"

"Brilliant! And where's the other statue?"

Still cheerful, Navi answered, "I have no clue! It seemed to just disappear… I haven't seen it in a while! Maybe it went walking off by itself?"

Glenna shuddered at the thought of a statue that large taking a stroll around the temple. "That's a cute thought, but really. You haven't seen a sign of it?"

"Nope! I guess we'll have to search the whole temple! And it may not be tall, but it has a lot of rooms!"

"Of course it does." Glenna's posture visibly deflated. "Well, great idea…" And she continued the climb at a much slower pace. When Navi suddenly disappeared out of her peripheral vision, she stopped and turned around.

"I think… that you need a way to control the statue, too! There's some type of heavenly rod that brings statues to life."

"Okay, do you know where that is?"

"No idea!"

Glenna sighed and rubbed her temples with full knowledge that this was going to be a long trip. "Do you even know what's behind those statues?"

"Oh, sure!" Glenna felt slight relief at this. "A room with a lot of dangerous objects, like swinging scythes! And, behind that, is a door that leads to the basement. I saw a gigantic spider in there once and never went back. It almost reminded me of Queen Gohma, only it had a giant eye on its back." Navi delivered the news much too cheerfully.

Feeling utterly defeated, she muttered, "I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

**XxX**

"This place is teeming with everything imaginable," came Link's exasperated remark as he and Midna found themselves in a very open room with a corral of the most disgusting-looking spiders and several Beamos. Though they had seen no enemies upon first entering, they had now come upon quite a few different types. "You're probably right about the mirror, in that case."

"See? You should trust me more often, eee hee hee! I'm starting to get aggravated," noted the twili in an abrupt fashion, though it was difficult to tell by her previous chipper tone. "No statue yet, and we don't _really _know where the shard is. It would be helpful if these useless things," she gestured to the enemies, "could talk."

Link chuckled bitterly. "As if they would say anything." As if on cue, a trio of Lizalfos dashed at him, but with one swipe, they all fell to the ground. Holding up the blade once they were gone, he ran his hand over it. The Master Sword had truly amazing power; he was not sure if he could ever go back to using his Ordon sword again. Taking his attention off of the blade, Link took in the remainder of the room, which wasn't much; there was a golden gate on the east side, a less magnificent-looking one on the north with a lantern floating behind it, and a large staircase to the west. The staircase might have once reached down to where a white Beamos now stood, but it was blackened and ruined now. A strange statue somewhat resembling the Armos, though much taller, stood off to the side of the ornate gate, but it seemed to be a simple statue. Other than that, the room looked spectacular, much better than any temple he'd been in so far. "This place is so advanced-looking, and it's completely closed off. How could anyone have built it? Who would have even used it?"

Midna floated in front of his face and waved her hands. "Hey, don't you even remember why we're here? We need to find that mirror shard, and who knows how much time we have to find the rest before they disappear?"

"'Disappear'?"

"Sure. Zant might decide he wants to keep the remaining shards on him, or hide them where we can't find them. He might send Glenna to watch over them for all we know, not that I'm too worried about that; you can easily take her." Midna's voice had become significantly bitter at the mention of the blonde, and Link's blood ran cold at the thought of having to 'take' Glenna.

Still, that seemed a bit strange to him. "Why wouldn't she just take the shards for herself?"

"You humans," she said with a fonder tone and smile, "can't touch the mirror shards. You're much too fragile for such a thing. It's not a pleasant thing, the mirror; it's quite evil, or so I have heard. I haven't seen evidence of it so far, all I know is that a human cannot touch it. So don't. Got it?" He nodded and an air of awkward silence passed between him. Midna was staring at him intently and seemed aware that he wanted to say something. "Go ahead."

"With what?"

Midna sighed and mumbled something about humans. "Say what you want to say. It's not like you to keep your thoughts hidden."

"Alright," he agreed tentatively. "It's just… When we were in Kakariko, you seemed so keen on the fact that Glenna had done nothing wrong, and she wasn't our enemy. You wanted to help her."

When he forced himself to look into her eyes, they were narrowed and her expression was that of outrage. "She tried to attack us! Don't you think that changes anything?"

"Yes, and no," he agreed. "Is this about that or the principal?"

"A little of both," answered Midna in a growl.

"I think it's more about pride, really."

Midna's eyes narrowed further. "Link, she's a loose cannon!"

"She's afraid," he argued.

With another sigh, Midna closed her eyes and massaged her temples. "I don't want to fight about this right now. I want to find the Mirror Shard. Can we just do that and worry about the rest later? Please?" Her tone had drifted from bitter and accusative to pleading, and he had no choice but to agree.

"Alright." **(A/n: There's about to be a huge skip of the Temple… which is mostly because everyone's played the game, and nothing's changed, so there's no point to include it. Sorry. D: ) **

**XxX**

Though it took a while yet, Glenna and Navi eventually reached the room with the spider corral. Something felt off in the room, but she could not place it. "Clearly, we're following in Link's footsteps, not that I ever had any doubts about that before. No locked doors or keys for us to find… Nothing could be easier."

"Maybe he's found the statue and rod by now!"

"Maybe," agreed Glenna, who was becoming less and less sure of her role in the temple the longer she lingered. It was becoming increasingly obvious to her that she did not want to fight against Midna and Link, and she certainly did not want to help Zant, but she did not want him to hurt anyone. This was a creature that could bring Zelda to her knees and bury peaceful Hyrule into twilight. He was not one to be double crossed.

"Finally here, are you? Link and Midna are already quite ahead; you're lagging." She jumped at the sound of Zant's voice - both surprised and unsurprised to see him standing by the corral of spiders with too-large thoraxes; he seemed to almost be admiring the insects.

Glenna had quickly whispered for Navi to hide as soon as Zant's presence became known to her. It was eerie for him to appear the moment where she was thinking about him the hardest. "I didn't expect you to be here," she partially lied as she watched the tip of Navi's wing poke out from behind a nearby jar.

Zant chuckled. "But how could that be? You think I don't know what you've been saying?" A smile slowly spread across his face, the only part of him visible with the helmet slid back slightly. "Ah, so you really _didn't _think that I heard your every word. A pity. I truly thought you were more intelligent than that, especially considering we just held a conversation in the Grove. I suppose you thought that you were better at blocking your mind than you actually are."

Glenna took half a step toward him. "I don't know what you think you heard, but…" _'But, what?' _She was fresh out of excuses, but Zant was still wearing a killer smile.

In the next moment, his arm moved without her being able to track it properly, and she promptly found herself on the floor in the following second. He had only smacked her across the face, which was only revealing the tiniest portion of his power. Glaring up at him from the floor, Glenna realized that he was teasing her and, at the same time, attempting to remind her just how powerful he was, particularly in comparison to her. Zant simply wore his smile, which looked much more deranged now. "Hey!" shouted Navi with an amazing amount of force behind it. She flew out from behind the jar and into Zant's face with a surprising amount of speed. "You can't do that to Glenna!"

"A talking fairy?" mumbled Zant, amused. "Be gone!" He swiped at Navi with his hand and easily flung her across the room. Once he was satisfied with Navi hitting the wall and sliding to the floor, Zant approached and hovered over Glenna. "Don't move, don't retaliate, don't even think of it." He slowly tilted his head to the side. "I could snap you in half so easily… I would only have to reach out and…" His free hand, which had been reaching toward Glenna, crunched the air. "Snap.

"Now, let me tell you something that even your pitiful mind should be able to contemplate. Our minds, dearest, are connected. I hear your thoughts, regardless of whether or not you'd like me to. And I am always listening because you are not to be trusted. You would turn on me for your own selfishness? That is fine, but I cannot say that your loved ones would be spared…"

Before either of them could say more, a new voice joined Zant's, a shout: "Zant!" A voice in her head, no doubt the twili before her, seemed to order her to bolt from the room, but she stayed put instead. She turned her head toward the top of the staircase and spotted none other than Link standing there. Where Midna was at the moment, she did not know. As he appeared, a noise echoed from somewhere above while the twin of the statue in the first room appeared from beneath a golden bell-like transporter. A light blue rod with a ball of green light floating between three pieces flanking off the top was clenched in Link's hand, and Glenna had an inkling about what it was.

Though Zant easily could have moved behind Link and attacked him, or even attacked him from where he stood, he did nothing, and Link came running down the stairs. He promptly filled the little space there was between Glenna and the twili with the rod still grasped. "Are you planning on harming me with that toy?" wondered Zant as he examined the strange-looking weapon. Glenna wondered why Midna was not resurfacing from Link's shadow as, surely, she would have liked to face him. Before Link had the opportunity to respond, the rod flew out of his hand and skirted across the room, collapsing outside of the gate with the floating lantern. "Let us all see if you two are still quite so capable at fighting on the same side, hm? Come!"

Instead of raising his arms in a sort of challenging gesture, Zant did the most foolish thing possible: he turned his back toward them and began to walk away. Sure it was a trap, Link nor Glenna made a move to attack, and Zant paused by the odd, tall statue standing on the other side of the room. He waved his hand, and green lines became illuminated on the dark stone. Link had no doubts about what the creature it was as, surely, it was some type of Armos. Zant's form flickered in and out of existence before he glanced back at them, briefly, and disappeared for good. "A copy," remarked Navi, seemingly surprising Link.

"What do you mean?" asked Glenna as she turned her head toward the fairy.

"He was sort of translucent… I don't know what your regular… Zant, you called him? I don't know what he looks like, but I don't think his body flickers like that, does it?"

"It doesn't," agreed Link before holding a hand out to Glenna, helping her to her feet. No animosity was felt, and neither mentioned what had been going on between them since the Arbiter's Ground incident. They trained their eyes on the Armos Titan, which was taking clumsy steps toward them with its hands outstretched. "Do you have any idea what that is?"

Glenna shook her head. "Not the faintest idea, but it looks… sort of like an Armos, doesn't it? Just bigger, and stranger. It has a gem on its chest, so if we could just hit that…" Without another word, Link handed his bow and an arrow to her. She notched the arrow into the bow and fired it at the statue, but it seemed to simply bounce off of the Armos Titan's body. "…Then, what?"

The statue was beginning to get too close, and Glenna finally had the opportunity to truly take in the appearance of the Master Sword as Link held it beside him. After a moment, he rushed at the Armos Titan, and swung his sword at it, but its hands were quicker than his. It brought its hand down too quickly and sent Link flying into the white Beamos, which broke down from the force to reveal another group of spiders with overly-large abdomens. "The rod," grunted Link as the spiders crawled atop him.

"Get the rod, he said!" Navi whispered to Glenna without necessity.

"I know, I can hear too!" she grumbled in response as she dashed around the titan and bent over to pick up the rod. Something collided with the side of her face, and she collapsed to the ground again. There was no gash, but she was quite sure that she would now have two ugly bruises on either side of her face in due time. "Damn Poe." Making sure she was a safe distance away from the gate - and Poe - before attempting to stand again, Glenna examined the rod. "What, in the name of the Goddesses, am I supposed to do with this?" She tried to wave it but, as far as she could tell, nothing happened. The light atop the rod had changed to a white color, but she doubted that this would help much.

The Armos Titan seemed torn between its victim lying vulnerably on the ground and the one staring at a "toy". It started for her, and she continued to wave it in hopes of achieving something. The light flowed back and forth between the rod and the room, but it didn't seem to break anything.

"Watch out!" chimed Navi a moment too late as the overgrown Armos swung both arms at Glenna. She went flying in the air, but upward, where she landed on a ring close to where Link's statue was stationed. "If the light leaves that rod, maybe it can enter empty spaces… Like the one the statue has!" Glenna followed Navi's train of thought and waved the rod. Once more, the orb exited the rod but, this time, it entered the hollow part of the statue and decorated it with white light. When she attempted to approach the statue, it backed away from her, and when she backed away, it followed her. She tried to fix the distance between them, but it was ineffective.

"No fun," growled Glenna.

Navi was in her face once again. "C'mon, you have to hurry before that thing hurts Link! Hurry!"

Glenna began to walk quickly, then. "Alright, I'm hurrying." She wasn't paying attention to her footing, and she slipped off of the side of the walkway and onto the ground. The statue plunged after her but did not, luckily, land atop her or anything else important. Though her limbs ached from the fall, particularly her wielding arm, Glenna stood closer to the statue and reanimated it. A thought occurred to her as they approached the Armos Titan, which had taken Link into its hands and was about to do something terrible to him, no doubt. _'Mimicry. This statue copies what the wielder does, so that means its hammer…' _She abruptly swung the rod, and the statue slammed its hammer onto the Armos Titan's back which did little more than distract it into dropping Link and knocking all of the spiders onto their backs.

The Armos Titan turned towards its new adversary without much certainty on what to make of it. Glenna swung the rod again, and the hammer shattered the emerald on the Armos' chest, causing it to hop around and explode quite quickly. The blast sent pieces of the statue flying into Navi, Link, Glenna and destroyed the group of spiders. Link slowly stood, and he and Glenna stood at each other for a moment. Then, without another word, Glenna dropped the rod and bow and took off through the door she had entered just fifteen minutes earlier. Navi seemed torn about what to do and followed Glenna only at the last minute, leaving a very perplexed, angry Link standing behind.

Glenna did not stop running until she reached the first room of the Temple of Time. "Wait!" cried Navi, who only managed to catch up once Glenna paused outside of the corridor that would take her back to the sword chamber. "What was that? You can't just run away from him like that. He saved your life, probably!"

Still staring at the corridor, Glenna remarked, "Your friend's name was Link."

"Wh-what?" demanded the fairy, caught off guard.

"I never said that boy was Link, but you called him by that name. Of course, it was sort of obvious, but you had no doubts. When you spotted him, it was like you were seeing a familiar someone for the first time in years." Navi seemed abashed and could find nothing to say. "But I can't stay here. I need you to stay here and help him."

Navi floated into her face. "Why can't you stay?"

"Because there's something I have to do as soon as I can. I need you to take care of Link for me, please. I need you to help him as if you were helping your own Link. Can you do that?"

After a moment of uncertainty, Navi answered, "I will."

* * *

**A/n: I have never had more difficulty writing a chapter in my life, I swear. Both the Moblin & Armos Titan are ideas I got from the beta trailer of TP, particularly the Armos Titan. I really love the Temple of Time and know I did not make it quite as awesome as I could have, but I have to try to cut the amount of chapters, at least a little. :P So, happy holidays, everyone! I will probably update at least once before the new year… we'll see. Enjoy your holidays (and review, too)!**


	26. The Second Shard

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**  
The Second Shard

**A/n: This is going to be my last update for this year. :P Cute, right? Thank you for the reviews, as always! Such great writing inspiration. Enjoy the -quite long- chapter!**

'_The killer in me is the killer in you_

_My love, I send this smile over to you.'_

**-****"Disarm" by the Smashing Pumpkins**

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* * *

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"Can you explain what just happened back there?" Link was taking the stairs two at a time with rod still in hand, and Midna was floating a couple feet behind him.

He had stopped at the bottom of the stairs, trapped by the closed gate before him, and the statue had just appeared out of its golden transporter in the room ahead. "What's there to explain?" he asked as he fished the Clawshot out of his pack, took a few steps backwards, and eased himself over the gate. Switching the Clawshot in favor of the Dominion Rod, Link reanimated the statue and began down a new set of stairs with the boss key jingling against his belt.

Midna hovered in front of him with her arms crossed. "First, you _order _me to get into your shadow before we enter the corral room because you 'have a bad feeling', then you _still _want me to stay in your shadow once the clone of Zant appears, and you still didn't want me out until Glenna left. And for reasons I don't comprehend, you seem to be keen on defending her when she _ran away_. Can you explain any of that?"

"I didn't know that it was a clone at first. Before I entered the room, I thought it was really Zant; I could sense his evil, and I didn't want a repeat of last time." Midna's expression softened ever so slightly at his concern. "And if you had reappeared while Glenna and I were fighting that thing, the two of you would have only wanted to fight with each other, and I didn't think the distraction was necessary. Do you?"

With an expression of mock hurt, Midna put a hand to her chest. "You think _I'm _a distraction?"

Ignoring her, Link added, "If Glenna really wanted nothing to do with me, then she would have left before the Armos was defeated."

Though Midna hated to admit it, he was likely correct about that part. So, naturally, she didn't acknowledge it. "Well, whatever. Maybe she just doesn't want your pretty little face smashed up too badly. She probably ran off to go see the real Zant, or maybe she even knows where the shard is. Maybe it's _not _wherever that big key takes us."

"Copy or not, it was clear that Zant isn't happy with Glenna. Why would she help him?"

"To save her own skin." Midna seemed to have an answer for almost everything.

Link attempted to hide his exasperation as he swung the rod, forcing the statue to do the same with its hammer, and smashed a gate into pieces. He focused on luring the statue into a new transporter and swung around just in time to deflect an ugly brown and blue spider from attacking him. The temple was crawling with the arachnids, and he was beginning to wonder if there was a main source behind whatever door the key opened. "I just don't want to see you get hurt the next time Glenna twists that knife in your back," explained Midna in a more understanding voice. "I'm trying to look out for you because you're the type of guy who looks for the good in everyone. Sometimes, the bad is just too much to outweigh the good. Look at Zant. He's probably the only violent twili in the Twilight Realm, and he took his harbored animosity toward the light world and turned it into a weapon.

"I'd be lying if I said I was just concerned about you," she admitted. "I need your help to restore my home and to protect yours. I can't do this without you, so if you die because of your imagined allegiances, then we're all in trouble." Link lifted the door and found that they had finally returned to the primary room of the temple. A transporter in the center of the room was lifted to reveal the statue, but there was something else by it, too: a small, blue, flittering something.

"You know I'm going to help you. I want to help you restore your home and return to your people, but that shouldn't mean I have to give up on my friend," remarked Link as he joined the statue and Navi.

Navi nearly flew into his face out of excitement. "Link, it's so nice to meet you! I'm Navi the fairy!"

A little put off, Link replied, "Er, nice to meet you?"

"Glenna left, but she wanted me to help you. I can help you! Do you have the key? Huh? Huh?" She flitted down to his waist and bobbled up and down excitedly at the sight of the key. "Ooh, you're so good, Link!"

Link and Midna exchanged a quick, disconcerted glance. "Thanks. Uh, do you know where Glenna went?"

"No idea!" Navi was much too cheerful for her own good. "Okay, since you have the key, rod, and statue, you can get to the spider's room. C'mon!" She buzzed across the room and paused by the statue's empty post.

Midna mumbled something that sounded a lot like, "Maybe she's the actual reason for why Glenna left so quickly…" Link smiled weakly at her attempt to joke, though it quickly disappeared when Navi shouted at him once again. He led the statue across the room and placed it in the spot across from its twin. The magical, lockless door disappeared to reveal a small hallway leading to another door.

"Let's go!" came another cheerful declaration from Navi, who had already sped down to the door; Link rubbed his temples as he and Midna followed her.

"So, the spider went through here?" asked Link, who was examining the door with a skeptical expression. There was no bulky, intricate lock.

Buzzing excitedly, the fairy agreed, "Yes, yes!"

Though he didn't truly believe that he had reached the end yet, Link pulled upwards the door and entered the next room. Midna whistled, and even Navi seemed a little surprised. They were standing in a dimly lit room filled with Beamos, Blade Traps, swinging scythes, and other death traps. "Who the hell _made _this temple?" demanded Link.

Midna patted his shoulder. "Good luck, Link." Then, for no reason at all, she disappeared into his shadow, leaving him alone with Navi and the torture instruments.

**XxxxxX**

By the time Glenna succeeded to enter Kakariko, it was quite dark, and her skin bore slightly more wounds than they had before she'd set out. When she walked through where the gates once stood and into the village, she was surprised to find someone waiting for her. Zelda, dressed with her cloak over what she guessed was a night gown, was sitting near the spring. How simple would it have been for a creature to simply stumble into the village and strike her while her back was turned? Glenna found herself a bit annoyed as she approached. "Don't you think you might want to change?" wondered the princess without looking toward her.

Glenna paused in her approach and glanced downward; her head was quite close to the ground. A moment later found her standing a couple feet taller, just for her to sit down beside Zelda on the ground. "How did you know?"

"A heightened sense of my surroundings, perhaps? Besides, you're quite the loud walker," she added with a faint smile.

"What I meant was how did you know I was coming?"

A quiet laugh escaped Zelda's lips. "A premonition, does that surprise you? I had a dream last night about a white wolf, who was to come to me from far away by the next night, and here you are."

"So you don't make a habit out of sitting by the spring at night with your back turned?" asked Glenna, relieved.

"Not usually." A moment of silence passed between them as Glenna thought of what she needed to say and Zelda waited patiently.

"You don't seem surprised to see me alive."

Zelda nodded. "No, I don't, do I? Somehow, I just felt that I would know if you were… gone. And, besides, I had already heard from Midna and Link about you summoning a gargantuan skeleton to kill them."

"But I-" She was silenced as the princess raised her hand.

"I know that you were not actually trying to kill them. However, I would enjoy hearing what happened. My connection with you faded and, I fear, I can't use it at all anymore. Why is that?"

Glenna felt guilty at that moment as she wondered if the connection Zant had into her mind would lead him straight to Zelda. "Zant. I went to the castle after Midna and Link set off for the desert. No, I know, it was a bad idea, but I thought, surely, I would find you there. Then, I didn't. I found Zant and he rendered me into a sniveling, shaking mutt." She explained in more detail what had happened up until she had left the Temple of Time. Zelda listened without changing her expression or interjecting an opinion, as was her way.  
"I see," she said once Glenna finished. "So you feared for my life and the others. You've a good heart, Glenna. Unfortunately, you also have very little faith in people. Of all people, I thought, Link would be the one that you trusted without any doubt. Instead, you jumped at the first opportunity to doubt his character, and by Zant of all people."

With her head lowered, she mumbled a shamed, "I know."

"But I can protect everyone, especially from Zant. I know that you will, of course, want Telma here, but is there anyone else?" This was news to Glenna, who recalled that Zelda had kneeled to the usurper not too long ago in order to protect Hyrule.

"There is," she agreed in a slow, reflective voice, "but I think it's better that I do it myself." She wanted to question how the princess thought she could protect anyone from Zant but simply chose to trust her instead.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "I'm intrigued. I will have Renado send a letter to Telma; I know she has very strong friends with her, and they should be more than willing to escort her here."

During her long trip from the Sacred Grove to Kakariko Village, a voice - whether real or imagined - had chimed into her mind. _'You can search all you want, but you'll never find the other shards, which lie within the depths of the snowy mountains and somewhere in the 'heavens.' _It had been Zant's voice, but she was not sure if he had been speaking the truth. Still, it was the best lead she had. "Actually, I'll take the letter, if you don't mind writing it at this moment. I don't want to wake anyone with my appearance, and I need to do it tonight. I need to see Ashei."

"I suppose you don't plan on sharing with me what it is you're up to?" wondered Zelda as they stood and started for the Inn.

"Well… Ashei has some knowledge about a mountain region to the north, and I think she can help."

Zelda smiled. "So you _won't _tell me what you're up to. Fair enough. I trust you."

"It's nice that someone does."

"Many people do," she replied more seriously. "But it's you who has the trusting issue, Glenna, and I seriously advise you to alter it before you can do anything foolish again."

Glenna nodded. "Yes, yes." They walked to the main counter where some parchment and a quill remained, and Zelda began to write. It did not take her long and, when she finished, she tucked the flap of the envelope beneath it as she could not find a way to make a seal.

"Of course, I can't make the Royal Family seal here, but I'm sure this will suffice," she handed the letter to Glenna. "I would show you your sister, but she is being kept in a spare room beneath Renado's Sanctuary, and for us to go in at such a late hour…"

"I know, and I believe you," she mumbled, "but I don't know why I was so willing to mistrust Link and Midna."

Zelda shook her head as they returned outside. "It is in your nature," she said unapologetically. "You were betrayed in the worst way possible as a child, so it's difficult for you to trust. But, as I mentioned before, you must or you will allow something similar to occur once again. Agreed?"

"Yes. I'm afraid that Link and Midna won't forgive me, though," she admitted as she approached Avianna, who was in her makeshift stable with Epona sleeping beside her.

"Link will, in a heartbeat. Considering what occurred in the Temple of Time, he may have already forgiven you. As for Midna, she is nearly as mistrustful as you, and about as stubborn, too. But she will come around, don't worry."

Glenna nodded. "I hope you're right," she said as she climbed atop Avianna. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Is… is everyone alright? Ilia's memory, how is it?"

Zelda shook her head. "About the same, I fear. Time, just give it time. Now, go on. I'll take care of things here; you just get Telma, and get her back here. Ride safe."

"Thanks. I'll see you." Then, she kicked Avianna's sides, and they set off into the night.

**XxX**

Armogohma was nothing like Link had anticipated. She was a gargantuan spider, yes, but one with armor surrounding an orange eye on her back. The arachnid also seemed to enjoy either walking down the walls and attempting to trample him or shooting lasers from the eye on her back, which had already managed to singe Navi's wings and his clothing. Fighting her required the use of arrows (and much patience since Navi continuously shouted unnecessary instructions at him), so it was fortunate that he had become a better shot.

"Watch out!" exclaimed Navi as the spider prepared to shoot another laser, but he ignored her.

Link stood directly beneath her with an arrow almost ready to shoot. He waited until he was sure there was no way he would miss and fired. For the final time, he hoped, Armogohma collapsed to the ground beneath a statue. Link pulled out his rod, waved it quickly, and smashed its underbelly with the statue's giant-sized hammer. With an inhuman screech, the spider began to dissolve, and Link heaved a sigh of relief. "That wasn't too bad," he mumbled as he idly fingered some of his singed hair.

"Hey!" came another one of Navi's shouts, and he almost wanted to yell at her… But he was pleased, because the nightmarish arachnid was gone.

As if the Goddesses wished to toy with him just a little, the cloud of darkness that had risen as a result of Armogohma's defeat was lifted to reveal at least thirty Baby Gohma and… a somewhat bigger spider with an orange thorax that looked much like an eye. Even Midna was staring at it with disbelief. "You've _got _to be kidding."

Link quickly pulled out his bow and began to rapid fire arrows at the spider, but everyone seemed to miss or hit one of the babies. "Quick, Link! Hit it with your arrows!" shouted Navi, as if she were oblivious to the fact that he was already attempting just that. Surely, she should have figured out that was what he was trying to do; unless he was such an awful shot that it seemed like he was purposely aiming at the bluer spiders. He decided what would have been helpful would be the fairy actually doing _something_. But he pushed the thoughts from his head as he took aim once more, only to accidentally hit one of the babies - again.

Cursing under his breath, Link put away the bow and ran at the group of spiders with the Master Sword. Unsurprisingly, the arachnids began to scurry even faster, just out of his reach, and some of them even set apart from the group to tackle him. Link launched himself into a running jump and pierced the thorax of the orange spider with an ending blow. As a result, all of the other spiders seemed to decay before his eyes, and, as the orange did so, a large glistening shard fell onto the floor.

Midna resurfaced from his shadow, and the shard began to hover between them. "Our second mirror shard," she remarked with awe. "Only two more to go. If only we knew where they were… Do you see what that shard turned that simple little spider into? The power of the mirror is awful, but at least nothing too bad came out of that thing getting it. Let's go…" She hovered a little away from him where a blue portal appeared on the ground. He ran into it and, in the blink of an eye, found himself standing in front of the translucent blue staircase.

Navi was hovering a little above his shoulder, a movement which Midna mirrored as the three of them stared at the staircase. The entrance was no longer visible, but Link knew if they walked to the top, it would reveal itself again. "Are you going back?" he asked the fairy, his aggravation at her forgotten.

"To the Temple? No. I've been there for way too long. The entrance should be sealed away again, don't you think?" She seemed thoughtful now, a great contrast to her previous annoying state.

Link nodded. "As long as you don't want to go back, I think it's a great idea." _'Though, it might be even better if she _does _go back.' _He took a few steps backwards and turned toward the pedestal in order to keep the staircase in his view. Without further deliberation, he stabbed the sword downwards, and the stairs retreated into the platform.

Midna turned toward Navi. "So? What are you going to do now?"

"Take someone else's advice, for a change!" She floated closer to Link, seeming to stare at him for a few seconds. "We'll see each other again. If I couldn't escape you once, then I'm sure of it!" Link wasn't quite sure to what she was referring but simply nodded his agreement nonetheless. He and Midna remained in the chamber, watching, as Navi steadily flew out, up the stairs, and through the door that would lead them back to the Sacred Grove.

Link glanced at Midna quickly before quickly following the fairy's lead. He felt quite old when he stepped through the doors and into the early morning sun. For a moment, he looked around in search of Navi but found no sign that she had come through. "We're from different times," remarked Midna, who seemed to know what Link was thinking. "At least, I think we are. She probably didn't see what we saw. If she had come through the same way, then she probably wouldn't be alive anymore."

"How do you know what time period she's from?"

Midna laughed. "Didn't she seem out of sorts to you?"

Ooccoo and Junior resurfaced from wherever they had been hiding on Link's person. He bent down before the Oocca and asked, "Did you find whatever it was you were looking for?"

"Oh, my, yes! You know, Ooccoo and Junior have been adventuring to every temple so far in hopes of finding what we did!"

Midna raised an eyebrow. "Which is…?"

"The Dominion Rod! Goodness, yes. We've been searching for it in hopes of returning home… Unfortunately, it seems that the Rod has been here for quite some time, and its magic has faded. If only I could remember the ancient text that would restore it…" Ooccoo had lowered her head somewhat, and even Junior seemed to be wearing a sad expression. "It can't be helped. We'll simply have to keep searching. Until next time, fellow adventurer. Good luck!"

The Oocca ran off at a rapid pace, and Link retrieved the Rod to get a good look at it. As Ooccoo had said, the magic on it appeared to have dissipated; it was now bright red instead of blue. "Hey, wait! What did you do to the Rod? Get back here!" shouted Midna, but Ooccoo and Junior appeared to have disappeared. With a groan, she turned back toward Link. "Well, it would have been helpful if she had told us _how _to fix the Dominion Rod, but I'm sure we'll find her at some point again. In the meantime, we need to figure out where the other two shards are; we'd better get back to Kakariko and tell Zelda what's going on."

Link was relieved at the opportunity to rest and, also, to check on Ilia's progress. "You're not going to make me walk all the way back, are you?"

Midna grinned. "Of course not. How about we test out," she pulled out the dark crystal, "Zant's little present?" Sensing Link's hesitation, her grin softened a bit. "It won't hurt you, I promise. Just touch it. I'll help you like I always do." Finally, he reached out and touched the crystal and, instantly, his spine bowed and nails elongated. Though it had only been a day since he had last been in his wolf form, he had already forgotten how uncomfortable the transformation could be. Midna patted the top of his head and jumped into the air. "That a boy!" Their bodies dissolved into twilight particles and flew into the portal hovering above the ruins.

**XxxxxX**

The sun was shining through the clouds by the time Glenna rode into Castle Town. She had little to no trouble reaching Telma's bar, but she had trouble getting inside as the door had been locked. A few loud knocks later, Telma, dressed in a black gown, answered the door with an agitated expression. When she took in Glenna's appearance, however, her face softened. "Glenna, honey, I haven't seen you in _ages_. Where's that handsome boy of yours, hm?" she asked, looking into the dark alleyway for a sign of Link.

"I'm on my own right now," she replied as she fumbled for the letter.

"Well, come in, honey, come in. You look like you could use a moment of rest." She led Glenna to the bar and, out of habit, stood behind it. She grabbed a glass and a bottle of something before pouring it. Though she was not exactly sure what it was, Glenna realized that it had been so long since she had drunken anything that she did not care. That and the fact that Telma would, likely, never give anything dangerous. "Are you coming back to stay? Or are you just passing through?"

Glenna took a long sip of her drink. It tasted sweet, like a fruit whose name she could not place. "Actually, I have a letter for you." She pulled out the envelope and slid it over the counter toward the woman.

Telma pulled the parchment out of the envelope and her eyes scanned over the words quite quickly. "Hm, his handwriting looks just a little different, but it seems that Renado needs me, honey." Her eyes were shining as she looked up from the letter.

It was common knowledge to her that Zelda was good at reading people, but the fact that she knew Telma would respond to a letter from Renado the best was nothing short of amazing. "Y-yeah, he does have his hands full there. A lot of kids and no one to really help him take care of them."

"Hm, but I thought your sister was there now?"

Glenna shook her head. "She's sick, so she can't help," she lied. "So, are you going?"

"Of course, honey! I'll leave as soon as the others get here!"

That was something she had not counted on. "When's that?"

"They'll be here soon, I'm sure. I'll go get changed, answer the door if they come, alright?" Then, Telma disappeared through the door that led to the "apartment." Glenna had an itching to return to her room and sleep in her comfortable bed, but she refrained. A knock came not too long after, and she allowed Auru, Ashei, Shad, and the helmeted man entry.

Though they all sat at the table, Glenna was beckoned to join them. "You do not know how Link's trip to the desert was, do you?" inquired Auru.

She skirted around the truth a little. "Not really. I've heard that he found a mirror, but it was broken."

"Is that so? Well, I suppose such things will occur over time… Where is he now?"

"In a place known as the Sacred Grove, sorting some things out." The helmeted man visibly turned his attention toward her and, in the next moment, his helmet was removed to reveal… "Rusl? You're the fourth member of this group?"

Rusl slowly inclined his head. "Yes… You see, I have been working with the 'The Group' for many years now. I have always been interested in the Grove that lies somewhere beyond Faron Woods, but I have never been there myself. Have you?"

He seemed to hold very little animosity toward her, despite the fact that she had been with Link in his wolf form to steal the shield and sword. "I've seen parts of it," she admitted, "and part of an ancient temple, but that's really it."

"The Master Sword, then… Does it truly lie within the Sacred Grove?"

This was something that Glenna had little trouble admitting to. "It is," she agreed. "Or, it was. Link took it." Before questions could arise on that note, she turned toward Ashei. "I think I heard you talk about researching the mountains to the north, didn't I?"

"Snowpeak, yeah? I've been looking into it," she agreed.

Without thinking much about it, she murmured, "'Within the depths of the snowy mountains…" Snowpeak, though she had never been able to successfully search the area, was a snowy mountain range; Glenna was familiar with no others in the kingdom.

Ashei was staring at her. "Sorry?"

Realizing she had spoken the words aloud, Glenna cleared her throat. "Is there… a temple or anything up there?"

"I've lived in the mountains," she admitted, "but in a very small settlement. Not even a real house, yeah? And I'd never seen any sort of place up there… But the Zoras have reported seeing a white beast coming to the Domain for… something, they don't know what. There might be a settlement of some type of creature in there, but an actual temple? I don't know. You'd have to look pretty deep in the mountains, yeah?"

Glenna had never successfully examined Snowpeak because of its everlasting blizzard though, admittedly, she had not put too much heart into it; Zelda had always expected it to be a wasteland, so she had never requested for her to search for beasts there the way she had in every other province. It was dangerous, really, but she didn't see a way around it. "Yeah," she agreed. "I have to go, actually, but Telma needs to get to Kakariko. Could you please escort her? It would mean a lot to me, and especially to her."

"I'll take her. Be careful in… whatever it is you're planning, yeah?" remarked an obviously skeptical Ashei.

Rusl nodded. "It would be a good opportunity to check in on Colin and the others. I'll go as well. Good luck to you, Glenna."

"Thank you all!" She retreated from the bar and exited Castle Town to where Avianna stood beside the bridge. "C'mon, girl. We need to pay a visit to the Zoras." They followed the west path to where part of the Zora's River emptied into the field and, from there, onto a sloping path that seemed it would lead into the mountains. For a moment, Glenna thought of the nearby, hidden path that could bring her back to the village with bitterness and something else that felt like hope. She promptly ignored the feelings as a gang of Lizalfos dashed toward them and hurried a frightened Avianna into a small, little known cave. Though Glenna had gone through the cave many times, she had never thought a horse could fit through it… until now.

Though the ceiling was relatively close to her and the filly's head, she thought it beat leaving Avianna for the Lizalfos to attack. The path, which had grown taller as they walked it, was not very long, and they appeared onto a more ornate path with rocks that appeared and acted like pillars. Glenna dismounted Avianna, patted her neck and mumbled, "Don't go anywhere, 'cause it's a long way down, girl." She leaned over the pathway and noticed many Zoras down below. There appeared to be only one effective way down, so she backed up a few paces before launching herself down below.

The Zoras seemed unperturbed by her appearance or way of transportation. It was not unusual for Glenna to do such a thing when she visited. She pulled herself onto the path that branched off and led to Snowpeak, stopping before two guards stationed there. "Miss Glenna," the guard on the left greeted her. "What brings you here?"

"I've heard that you Zoras noticed some white beast coming down from Snowpeak. Any chance you know what it was?"

"Well, it appeared to be one of the mountain beasts. You know, a Yeti."

"And do you have any idea why it would be down here?" She was hoping there would be some hidden motif for the beast to journey down to the Domain, something that had to do with the mirror.

Both guards shook their heads. "No. He never came here before and, on top of that, a suspicious girl has been lurking around here, as well… I'm afraid we will not be getting any type of break any time soon. I don't suppose you know why a Yeti would be frequenting our home?"

"The girl's fine; she means you no harm," assured Glenna although she knew her word counted for little. "But the Yeti… I have no idea. I didn't even know there was such a thing. I've heard and read, of course, but to actually learn they're real… They must live in the mountains somewhere, right?"

The shorter guard nodded. "Certainly. In caves or such."

It would be too simple if all Glenna had to do was find a cave and pick up the mirror shard, but that was not in Zant's style. No, it had to be _somewhere_… "Are you planning on going after the beast?" wondered the taller guard.

"I might be," she partially lied.

"Then, I should inform you that Snowpeak's normally foul weather has become worse since our home was frozen. It's quite dangerous, so you should be careful. I'm not sure that you can even get all that far."

Glenna nodded. "Well, thank you for the warning. And, uh, if I don't come back very soon, my horse is on the path above, if you could find something to feed her, that would be nice."

"Sure, we'll have someone do it. Good luck!" called the shorter guard as she started up the tunnel leading into the mountains. The closer she got to Snowpeak, the colder it became, and she was beginning to regret her decision to jump into the pool. Eventually, she reached the end of the cave and found herself at the tip of a cliff overlooking a blanket of white; she could make sense of nothing.

Glenna worked out her plan in her head. She was only somewhat hoping to find the beast that frequented Zora's Domain while, at the same time, searching the mountains for some large, intricate temple. Her lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed as she realized: _'This was an awful idea.' _ Not knowing what exactly she had to fear, she leapt off the edge of the cliff and landed on something hard. When her feet slipped and slid beneath her, she realized she was walking on ice which was neither good nor bad.

"Dumb, dumb, dumb," was what she would have muttered over and over while she blindly skidded on the ice, but the wind was too icy for her to will her mouth open. Finally, she stopped running around and blindly reached out. All of the nerves on her hands screamed and ached at once, and she immediately cradled it against her chest; she was extremely close to a glacial water source of some type. Her vision only slightly improved when she transformed into a wolf. That way, she was able to find that she could see various flat glaciers floating in the water that she could jump across to get to the other side of the water.

**XxxxxX**

Midna and Link reappeared in the cave beside the spring, just in case anyone was already outside. Once he transformed into a human once more, and she disappeared into his shadow, Link ventured out into the village, seeking out Zelda. He entered the Sanctuary and was pleased to see Ilia, though he had been expecting the princess. "Ilia-"

"Oh, Link, it's good to see you again. Your friend told me to tell you to see her in the cemetery. She's very smart; I don't know how she knew you'd be coming back today!" Though she had been smiling, it faded quite quickly. "You know, the older girl that was here got sick somehow, and she's been put in a room underneath here. Renado said she's in a coma, isn't that sad? I bring her new flowers every day, so she has something nice to look at when she wakes up."

Link's smile was weak. "That's very kind of you. Avon will be pretty thankful when she wakes up."

"That's nice of you to say," replied Ilia, a sad smile on her face. "I talked with her a lot. She seemed sad about her sister, and her sister probably doesn't even know what's happened to her."

It took much restraint on Link's part to not say, "Oh, she knows alright." Instead, he said, "Keep an eye on her for me. Take care of yourself." Then, he retreated from the Sanctuary and took the path behind it to find Zelda. As Ilia had said, the princess was waiting for him there. She was kneeling before one of the closer gravestones with her head bowed as if she were praying, and he was not sure if he should bother her.

Midna saved him from this dilemma by resurfacing and calling, "Princess?"

Zelda stood immediately and turned toward them with a surprised expression. "I didn't know you'd be here so soon."

"You told us to come back once we got the Master Sword… but Glenna caught up with us, and we wound up in the Temple of Time," remarked Link, abashed.

Zelda inclined her head. "That I heard, but what I meant was that I did not know you'd come not too long after Glenna did."

"Glenna?" repeated both Midna and Link.

"She came to see me earlier, but she has already left. I expect she'll be back… Perhaps."

Midna raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"It doesn't matter. Now, tell me everything that has happened since you left." And they did. They spoke of the Sacred Grove (including the Twilit Messengers, which Glenna had left out), the Master Sword, Glenna, and the Temple of Time. "So you found the second piece of the Twilight Mirror?"

"Yes, but, unfortunately, we don't know where to find the other two," complained Midna.

Zelda seemed to think over whatever it was she wanted to say before speaking. "As with the pieces of the Fused Shadow-"

"-Which we also don't have anymore," growled Midna.

Clearing her throat, Zelda continued, "Where the pieces of the Fused Shadow were found, there was usually a large amount of evil coming from that area, yes?" Link and Midna nodded. "Would it not be fair to say that the same could be said of the Temple of Time."

Link and Midna thought on this. "Well, it's true, the Temple of Time was significantly darker, according to the fairy…" murmured Midna. "But, how are we supposed to figure out where, out of all the places in Hyrule, there's a significant source of evil? This is an old land, filled with bitter memories. That alone could cause malice, couldn't it?"

"Yes," agreed Zelda, "however… Before Glenna left me, she expressed a desire to speak with someone named Ashei, who has knowledge about Snowpeak, the mountainous region north of the castle."

"She might be onto something," said Link slowly as he digested the information. "So we should go to Castle Town and see her?"

"Perhaps," agreed Zelda, "but she may be escorting Telma here. You might like to wait."

Link blinked. "Telma? Why?"

"I suppose I have a bit to say on my behalf, as well," mused the princess. "When Glenna came to me, she expressed a desire for me to protect the people here, as well as Telma. So I wrote a letter, in the shaman's hand, and sent for her."

"Protect them from what?" demanded Midna.

Zelda shook her head. "That is for Glenna to say. Now, come, let us see if she's arrived yet." She pulled up the hood of her cloak, settled her scarf over her face, and set out of the cemetery.

**XxxxxX**

Glenna was exhausted, and the White Wolfos continuously ambushing her was far from appreciated. She was not even sure if, at this point, she was gaining any progress at all as it was nearly impossible to see more than a couple feet ahead of her. Aside from that, everything simply looked _white_. _'Maybe a rest. Just a small one, a very tiny moment's reprieve. Just long enough to rest my eyes for a few minutes…' _Her brain screamed that it was an awful idea, but her tired legs lowered her body into the snow as her eyes closed.

Moments later (though her frozen limbs told her otherwise) it seemed, she was awoken by something. Thunderous footsteps that made the ground tremble were approaching quite close to her ears. "White wolf, uh? Very rare, would be very tasty…" Whatever it was poked her in the side, and her body reacted with a twitch. "Alive, too, uh? But barely… I bring home and see what wife think." Now her tired eyes wanted to fly open, but she was too fearful to do so; it took all of her self-control to keep them shut as the creature threw her over its shoulder and started off. Her fatigue somehow managed to overcome her fear, and she began to drift once more.

* * *

**A/n: Silly girl, sleeping when she's about to be eaten… I hope everyone has a very lovely holiday(s), and I will see you next year!**


	27. Premonitions and the Mountain

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**  
Premonitions and the Mountain

**A/N: Happy new year! Wow, guys, thank you so much for all of the reviews (and for reading, of course)! It's so hard for me to believe that I was having trouble writing this just a year ago (even less, really) because of the lack of following I felt I had… and now I have twice the amount of chapters in reviews. So thanks a ton! Another super-long chapter today, enjoy!  
**

'_I know what it takes to move on, I know how it feels to lie__.  
__All I want to do is trade this life for something new,__  
__Holding on to what I haven't got__.__'_

-**"Waiting For the End" by Linkin Park**

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Three new horses stood off to the side of the spring, alerting Link to the fact that Telma and the others had arrived. He looked around for her but did not notice. Some particularly loud shots from within the Sanctuary alerted him to her location, and he and Zelda (with Midna hiding in the shadows) entered. "Renado, I heard you need help taking care of things around here. Now, I'm a busy woman, but I can take time out of my schedule to help you," crooned Telma, who was standing before Renado near the statue. The only thing that would have made her emotions more obvious would have been if hearts were floating around her head which, of course, was impossible.

Ashei, who was pinching the bridge of her nose, and Ilia, who wore a nervous smile, stood off to the side. "Ah, Link. I should have known you were here; Telma says you drop by often. So strange to see you and Glenna apart though, yeah?"

"I wanted to talk to you about her… kind of."

"Hm?"

"What do you know about Snowpeak?"

Ashei raised her eyebrows for a moment and gestured for him to follow her through the back door. Once they were behind the Sanctuary, she said, "I assumed it best not to speak of such things with others around, yeah? Apparently, there's a Yeti coming down to Zora's Domain for reasons they do not understand… Glenna left too quickly, but I sketched the creature while hiding…" She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it over to Link.

The picture was not the most artistic he'd ever seen, but it was informative. It depicted a burly white creature wearing some type of hat with a red fish in his hand. Though Link was sure the fish was important, he had never seen such a thing in his life. "Thanks. Can I keep this?"

"Sure," she replied as she leaned on the fence. "Glenna said something before she left: _'Within the depths of the snowy mountains.' _Do you know what that means?"

Link shook his head. He had no idea… but he had a hunch. "Anything else?"

"Snowpeak is unlike any other place you've ever seen, yeah? It's bitterly cold and has been raging with a blizzard for some time now. It's dangerous to navigate, so you _need a plan before you go_." Ashei shook her head and stared into the sky. "That Glenna has a good heart, but a reckless brain. I worry that she blindly entered the mountains."

"It wouldn't be like her," he mumbled, which satisfied neither of them. "Thank you for your help."

Ashei nodded. "Sure. Oh, Rusl went to the Inn over there, yeah? He told me to send you over if you happened to be here…"

"_Rusl_? Thanks." Link clamored over the fence and started in the direction of the Inn despite the fact that he was itching to speak with Midna and hammer out a plan. There was almost no doubt in his mind of the location of the next mirror shard.

The Inn seemed to be empty when he entered, though a man of average height appeared to be lifting up a boy Link recognized to be Colin. "Dad! I can't believe you're _here_…"

"A trip very overdue, I'm afraid," admitted Rusl as he set down his son. "I had to wait for my arm to heal and take care of some things before I could come…"

Colin shook his head. "Well, I'm happy you're here now!"

"And I'm pleased to see you in such fine condition."

"Better than fine, really," noted Link as he approached them and ruffled Colin's hair. "He's really grown into his own." The boy was beaming up at him, and he returned the grin.

Rusl also smiled. "Is that so?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "You never told your father about your act of bravery, Colin?" The boy seemed abashed, and his cheeks were beginning to turn pink. "You haven't? A while back, Colin was picking herbs with Glenna in Hyrule field, and she was struck by a monster. He attacked it to make it leave her alone."

Rusl's expression changed from one of content to sheer shock. "My boy… But you had no weapon?"

"I sort of hit it with my hands…" mumbled Colin. Rusl promptly embraced his son in a tight hug.

"I always knew it was inside you, son. You're a timid boy, but very brave. I'm extremely proud of you."

Colin's cheeks were still flushed, and he seemed as though he wanted to change the subject. "Hey, Link, about Glenna… You haven't seen her lately, have you?"

"We seem to constantly be missing each other, but I'm sure she's fine."

"I bet you're right, but I miss her… I wish Ilia remembered who I am."

Link patted the boy's shoulder. "She will. Just give it time. Are you staying long, Rusl?"

"Perhaps I'll stay so long as Telma remains here; I know Ashei is researching Snowpeak still. Are you here for long, Link?"

He shook his head. "I'm about to set off."

"Well… The next time we are able to enjoy each other's company for more than a few minutes, might you like to tell me about your trip to the Sacred Grove?"

Link blinked. "How did you know…?"

"I asked Glenna. She said that you took the Master Sword…" Rusl's eyes seemed to be peering over his shoulder in an attempt to get a glance at the legendary blade.

Colin's eyes looked like they might bulge out of his head. "Really, Link? That's so cool!"

"It's true, and I promise to tell you more when I have the time, but I really have to get going now. See you guys! Take care of the others for me, Colin."

Colin nodded and waved. "I will, promise! Good luck, Link!"

"Be safe, Link," added Rusl as he exited the Inn. He was only somewhat startled to see Zelda waiting for him outside.

In a murmur, for Ashei, Telma, Ilia, and Renado were nearby, he said, "Ashei told me some things… I think Glenna was right in her hunch."

They returned to the isolated cemetery, as macabre as that might have been, and Link told the princess of his conversation with Ashei. "So Glenna seems to know something about the remaining fragments?" she asked as she lowered her hood once more.

Midna popped out of his shadow with a grimace on her face. "And she's _hiding _it from us? Go figure…"

"She may wish to repent by gathering the shards for you; I don't think she's doing this for herself."

"Regardless, her hiding something that important won't help anyone, even if it is true."

"Midna, you hid something important, too," pointed out Link, and she instantly knew he was referring to her status as Twilight Princess.

Scowling, she replied, "That's no where _near _the same. We need those shards to get to the Twilight Realm, Link. My being the Twilight Princess doesn't _really _affect us either way. All it does is explain-"

"A lot," finished Zelda, "but it does not matter. Your ability to transform into a wolf, like Glenna, is more of a blessing than it is a curse. I have not visited Snowpeak in many years, but I recall it being treacherous even before it had any type of dark influence lying in wait there. The fish could prove important; it may lead you right to the Yeti, which could lead you to the shard of the mirror. I can feel it; these things are interconnected."

Midna pursed her lips. "Then, we might be a few steps ahead of Blondie. If the creature is coming down to Zora's Domain when it didn't before for this fish, then it must be rare to the Zora people, or something. You should ask a Zora about it…" She gazed around the area. "And considering our current location, what better Zora to ask than the prince?"

"A good plan," agreed Zelda, "so I'll leave you to it. Good luck at Snowpeak and…" She held out her right hand, which illuminated the Triforce symbol briefly. "Keep in touch."

Midna disappeared into Link's shadow once more as he climbed up the steps and entered the sight of King Zora's grave where, sure enough, Ralis was standing. "Prince Ralis?"

The Zora boy turned toward him slowly, and Link realized they had yet to meet in person yet. "You're the man from my dream," he mumbled. "You're Link. I owe you my thanks, my deepest gratitude. If I can help you with anything, please let me know."

"There is, actually." Link handed the sketch over to Ralis, who looked it over quickly.

"That red fish, that's a Reekfish. They only feed on a certain, valuable coral, and, as a result, are difficult to catch. This is why I am the only one in my village that has ever caught one. Do you see my earring? It is the same type of coral which the reekfish feed on. It belonged to my mother, but…" Ralis reached out and disentangled the coral from his ear. "I don't need it anymore. I understand, now, after seeing you and Glenna what my mother would have wanted for me… I will return to take my rightful place on the throne. Link, you can find the Reekfish swimming near the Mother-and-Child Rocks beneath the waterfall."

Link took the earring, and Ralis turned back toward the grave. "This is it. I will make you both proud…" Then, with a small wave, the Zora child jumped into the pond and swam through the underground cavern that would take him to Lake Hylia.

Midna reappeared by his side. "Not only did he help us, but you seemed to have helped him, too. Good all around! So, we should use your new bait to catch that fish, hm? With a name like 'reekfish,' tracking down that yeti should be no problem! Let's go!" And their bodies dissolved into twilit particles and disappeared into the sky.

**XxxxxX**

"Psst. Hey! Fellow adventurer, wake up!" The voice was familiar, but it certainly was not the creature that had snatched her. Glenna felt significantly warmer, though her limbs felt, for the most part, frozen still. There was a delicious smell in the air, which had an undertone of rotten garbage. "Pssst!"

Glenna's eyes snapped open and, though it had dawned upon her before, she realized she was no longer out in the snow. Directly in front of her was a shelf, and she seemed to be surrounded by pots and boxes of various sizes. The voice had come from somewhere near her head, so she stood, still in wolf form, and turned. A bird-like head was poking out of a jar, and Glenna realized she was nose-to-nose with Ooccoo. She attempted to speak, but it came out as a low growl. "Ooh, it's a good thing you woke up! That large fellow was speaking of putting you in his soup… Might Ooccoo suggest you change back?"

She followed the Oocca's advice, and returned to her human form. Luckily, the shelf was tall enough to obscure her form from anyone else in the room. "Ooccoo, how did I get here?"

"That big fellow carried you in! He's working on his soup right now."

Now what was she to do? If she stepped out from behind the shelf, the creature would notice her - instead of the wolf - and realize something was amiss. It might even eat her while she was in her human form. Glenna began to move out of the enclosed area and peeked her around the side of the shelf to get a look at the remainder of the room, though there was not much to see. Two doors were in the room: one all the way on the other side of the room, and another just up ahead on the left wall. Then, she caught a glimpse of the biggest cauldron she had ever seen in her life and, beside it, the strangest, largest creature she had ever set eyes on.

The creature was white with something that resembled a saddle atop is head and had a thick tail like that of a beaver's (if a beaver was about nine foot tall). Its head nearly reached the ceiling, and its hands were so large that she was sure it could poke her and every bone in her body would shatter. "Goddesses help me, I think I've finally met my match…"

"The fellow doesn't seem altogether too bad," offered Ooccoo, who was now standing beside Glenna with Junior hovering near her head. "His wife is sick, so he's been making soup for her."

"But he wants to use me as a main ingredient!"

Ooccoo made a clicking noise. "True enough!"

The creature began to move, and Glenna quickly retreated into her corner. It opened the door and, before closing it, shouted (or maybe he was talking in his regular voice), "Yeta, need more fish, uh! Be back soon!" The door slammed shut with a thud, and she stepped into the main section of the kitchen.

Sniffing the air, she mumbled, "If it's the fish that's stinking up the place, then I really don't' think he needs to add anymore…"

"Adventurer, you must leave before he comes back, but… there is something that may be of interest to you."

Glenna stared down at the small creature. "I'm listening."

"That fellow spoke of a mirror that has caused his wife's sickness. Link has been searching for the pieces, so I expect you are, as well?"

"I am… A mirror shard here? But where?"

Ooccoo shook her head. "That Ooccoo does not know, but I expect the creatures do!"

_'Well, of course.' _"Maybe I should find some type of weapon that the big brute would not snap in half like a twig before I engage in such a thing… But I need to find a way out, first." Naturally, Glenna took the door closest to her, which led to a living room-like area. There were bookshelves, a few chairs, and various paintings hung around the room. A fire was burning in the fireplace, and there seemed to be something large and white sitting on the couch near it. _'Another Yeti?' _She began her retreat too late, and the white creature noticed her immediately.

"A human, uh? I did not know any humans were here…" The yeti seemed docile, but her voice sounded a little congested, as if she were sick. "I have sickness, uh, but… Come closer, uh?"

Glenna cautiously approached the woman and felt some pressure hit her hip, informing her that Ooccoo and Junior had just joined her. Her hand brushed the hilt of her sword in what she hoped to be a warning gesture, just in case the creature decided to attack. Still, she did seem awfully sick, so Glenna assumed her chances of confrontation were low. Unless the big one came back. "Don't be afraid, uh. I won't hurt you. What brings a little human to the snows, uh?"

_'I could lie… But that would be pointless, if this woman really does have the mirror and knows where it is.' _So, standing a little taller, she said, "I'm looking for a mirror… Part of a mirror, actually. You haven't seen such a thing, have you?"

"Such a far place to look for mirror, uh… Husband find mirror, it very lovely… But since we have it, I get sick and monsters start to appear, uh. We lock mirror in third floor bedroom and put away key. But, uh, I forget where key is exactly…"

The way the woman described the mirror convinced Glenna that is what a fragment of the Twilight Mirror. "You don't mind if I have a look around, do you?"

"No. If you find key, bring it to me, uh? I look too, but can't get up…"

Glenna nodded. "Of course. Thanks. Er, you and your husband don't eat hylians, do you?"

Yeta tried to attempt a giggle but only managed coughing instead. "No, uh. He say he caught rare color wolf, but I no see…"

"Maybe it got out?" offered Glenna before taking the door on the opposite side of the room.

**XxxxxX**

Faint, but nagging, fatigue had forced Zelda to retire to the room Renado had granted her at the Inn. She settled herself beneath the quilt and closed her eyes for just a moment…

As soon as her eyes shut, her mind took her away, far away from the room in Kakariko Village. She was standing in an ambiguous place where the sky was black (really, there was no sky, just blackness) and golden-colored water that she seemed to be standing atop of. "Hello?"

"The time of your premonition is fast approaching, Princess Zelda…" The area promptly lit up as a gigantic illuminated giant snake, goat, owl, and monkey appeared before her, all of which were hovering way above the ground. "You must protect these people from the dark one's vengeance."

Zelda inclined her head. "Indeed…"

"Light will always conquer the darkness," remarked Eldin kindly. "But you must search within yourself to find it. Your own light will be more than enough."

The thought alone concerned her. Sometimes, she had so little faith in herself, and the feat of facing Zant could not be taken lightly again. Even if she knew what she had to do, could she even do it? "Do not doubt yourself. We do not appear to you because you are weak," rumbled Lanayru.

"I… know. Thank you."

"You are already aware that there is a more sinister power behind this, do you not?" inquired Ordona, who promptly continued as if it knew the answer. "Your light may not be enough."

"If and when the time comes to face him, I do not believe I will be on my own."

The other spirits seemed somewhat surprised by this. "Is that so? You put your hope in the Hero, which is foreseeable, but you count on the Twili and Changeling as well?" wondered Faron, whose very tone suggested he thought her naïve.

"They are all trustworthy allies," answered Zelda.

"One thing at a time, Princess. The other shadow-being comes tonight, be prepared…" The golden color lifted from the water as each spirit regained an orb of light before disappearing, yet Zelda remained standing in the now cerulean-colored water. She looked around with expectance, but nothing happened… not at first.

A demonic neigh emitted from the distance, shortly followed by the clip-clop of hooves. When she turned around, twilit particles were falling from the sky like rain, and a black stallion was dashing toward her. Its owner's identity was hidden by a hooded brown cloak, but she could tell by his hands that the rider was a male. Zelda did not move - because, strangely, she could not - and the rider reached out with his right hand.

Her nerves returned at that moment, and the princess realized she could have moved, but she was distracted by the glowing symbol on the rider's hand, which promptly snatched her up by the throat. "Foolishness. Call armies of millions to your side, Princess, but I will still remain. You have no hope of defeating me, for I can never die." She was gasping for air and struggling her best, but it seemed to have no effect on the rider, despite the fact that he was not even using his full weight or strength. Everything began to fade…

…And Princess Zelda awoke, safely, in her bed in Kakariko Village with a sheen of sweat covering her body. She touched her throat out of a curiosity and found it stung; when she looked in the mirror hanging on the wall, she realized an ugly purple bruise, shaped like a hand, had formed on her skin.

**XxxxxX**

The catching of the Reekfish had led Midna and Link, in his wolf form, up the side of the stormy mountain and to its peak where they met a very off-putting creature. Link transformed back into his hylian form and cautiously approached the gigantic yeti. "Uh!" shouted the creature suddenly as it looked over its shoulder to find Link there. "Uh, uh, uh… Silly… Heard sound, but it just little human… Humans not often come to snows. What doing here, little human?" He did not move and almost stood in Link's path, making it clear Link would not pass without answering.

"I, uh, came up here as part of a self-searching journey?" It was a weak attempt.

The yeti roared with laughter. "Uh, uh, uh, uh! You look in wrong place, uh? Joke, joke, little human. You look for something here? What?"

Link saw no reason to lie to the creature, so he answered, "I'm looking for a mirror."

"Mirror?" repeated the yeti. "You look in very faraway place for mirror, uh? But you look in right place, uh. I have mirror at house. You come see if mirror you look for, uh? But, uh, I need Reekfish from Zora Village for soup I make back at house… You smell very good, uh."

_'He… wants to put me into his soup?' _thought Link, horrified at the idea.

_'No, stupid, I think he smells the _Reekfish_ on you. Give it to him so we can get that shard!' _replied Midna within his mind.

Link pursed his lips at the insulting name but rummaged through his pack for the fish. "I have a Reekfish…"

The yeti moved too quickly for him to even think to defend himself. He knocked Link into the snow and held the fish in his hand with a wide grin. "Good, uh. Very good! I Yeto. I take you to house… But road there dangerous… Do like me. Watch!" Though he did not appreciate the way in which Yeto took the fish, Link's pack seemed much lighter once the fish was taken from him. He watched as the great brute hit the tree with his hand, knocking down an icy shell, and stood on it with one foot before beginning to slide down the mountain.

Link also hit the tree, ending with the same result, and jumped onto his makeshift snowboard with two feet. Midna reappeared and perched herself on his shoulder as he began to slide. Yeto, who was still in his sight, was far enough away for Link to feel comfortable with the twili's appearance. With one hand held out (the other holding onto Link), Midna said, "This is… snow, right? I've heard about it, read about it in old books from the Twilight Realm - you know, ones where my ancestors were reminiscing about Hyrule - but I never thought it was quite so…"

"What?" he prompted when she fell silent.

At a loss of words, she mumbled, "Nice. There's so much about this world that fascinates me."

Admittedly, Link had never heard Midna quite so honest about her feelings toward the Light Realm. Even more than that, he could hear what she wasn't saying. "You could stay, you know." He meant to make it sound like an offhanded remark so that she wouldn't hear the hope he had.

Midna seemed surprised. "Link, I…"

"What?"

"Watch it!" He turned his attention away from her and looked ahead to find the bridge he was abruptly boarding on had a gaping hole through half of it. Link crouched down quickly and jumped - feeling Midna's claws sink into his shoulder all the while - before safely landing back on snowy ground.

Link glanced back over his shoulder. "What were you going to say?"

"Look out!" she cried for the second time. This time, Link found that the land was ending right ahead to give way to a cliff.

Deciding it would be kinder to give her fair warning this time, he said, "Hold on tight." Then, he jumped, surprisingly not losing his 'board', and sailed about one-hundred feet through the air before landing in a concentration of trees. Midna covered her eyes as Link moved his body as fast as possible to avoid crashing into any one of the trunks. The ride was smooth from there, bringing them around a snowy road that wound around to give them a perfect view of a large, ornate house in the distance.

The snow suddenly gave way to flagstone pavement, making Link fly off of the board and onto the ground; Midna floated harmlessly in the air and fought back a laugh as he stood back up. "Is this really _his _house? I'd pictured a cave or something, somehow… Why would a couple of yetis live in a mansion? Whatever, if it takes us to the mirror shard, I won't question it. Let's go." She dove into his shadow, effectively taking away his chance to make her repeat what she had been planning on saying before.

**XxxxxX**

It had dawned upon Glenna even before exiting the safe, warm sitting room that she was at a great disadvantage, but it had become even clearer shortly once she left. As Yeta had said, creatures of different shapes, sizes, and textures were just crawling around the mansion. Glenna had found herself in an obscenely large storage room with the floor covered in tiny, moving ice beings. Every time she struck down a group, ten more seemed to rush in to replace the fallen. She had taken a swift retreat to the top of a stacked box pile in the center of the room. The Mini-Freezards glided around the boxes like hunters awaiting their prey's inevitable descent.

When the door to the Courtyard opened, Glenna had reacted as quickly as she could. She transformed into her wolf form and buried herself into the snow. Once she realized it was Link that she was hiding from, she felt even more concerned. It would be so easy to resurface, revert to her hylian form, and speak to him. Instead, she chose to bury herself in the freezing snow. "This would have worked out better if I had arrows, or some other long-range weapon. Even a lantern would have worked fine," she sighed to no one in particular. Ooccoo had taken off shortly before Glenna left the sitting room; she guessed the Oocca was in search of something.

Groaning, Glenna decided to bite the bullet. She jumped off her icy throne and swung madly at the Mini-Freezards as they glided toward her, which only succeeded in knocking them at walls and bottoms of shelves thus redirecting them back at her. Once the room was empty of any creature other than herself, she searched it for another door or chest… And she spotted it. Situated on top of a bookshelf pushed in the corner with all types of junk blocking it was a chest. Glenna could not believe her luck as she launched herself across the room, clamored over the stacked boxes and other stuff, and used the empty parts of the shelf to climb to the top. With anticipation, she reached into the chest and pulled out a… "Pumpkin? A stupid pumpkin? You've gotta be kidding me. Really." The thing that she had pulled out of the chest was indeed a pumpkin, and a slightly moldy one at that. With a very delightful grin, she threw the squash across the room, where it collided with the icy floor and instantly smashed into pieces.

Grumbling to herself, Glenna exited the room and walked through a few more rooms that were empty of enemies but full of junk. _'I'm going back to Yeta to see if I can jog her memory a bit, or so help me Goddesses…' _She threw open the door to find herself standing in the snowy courtyard once again. There were no more wolfos hiding in the snow, so she started for the door that would lead her back to the sitting room - just as said door flew open. She reacted quickly, transforming back into a wolf and hiding herself in the snow to see who was about to step into the graveyard.

And the identity of the person did not surprise her at all. Link was on his own and waddled through the knee-high snow. He looked around, once, then walked in the opposite direction of Glenna and entered a different door.

Once he disappeared, Glenna reverted to her normal form and ran back inside as quickly as she could. She passed through the living room and found herself in the foyer. The foyer was not a very welcoming room; parts of the tiled floor were missing, and an even larger chunk of the roof were simply gone. If it weren't for the light dusting of snow covering the floor and obvious disarray of it, the room might have been lovely. She focused her attention on more pressing manners.

_'If Link's figured it out, then there's really no need for me to stay,' _she reasoned out. The statement was true enough, but, despite her fear, she still didn't want to leave. _'Why?' _Avoiding Link seemed stupid, especially since she had told Zelda she would protect him, only not in those words exactly. He was the second person she had considered a best friend, and she couldn't very well turn her back on him now.

"Damn," she mumbled as she walked up the less broken staircase on the west side of the room (the one on the east had a landing, a purple Chu slithering around it, and that was about it). A Chilfos paced back and forth in the hallway up ahead; she was surprised he hadn't hurdled his spear at her on the floor below as it seemed like an excellent way to pass time. Glenna jumped the gap between the staircase and hall and raised her shield as the Chilfos turned on a dime and hurdled its weapon at her. The spear glanced off of the shield and fell somewhere onto the first floor where it promptly shattered. With a quick pace, it retreated to form a new weapon, and she knew her window of opportunity was not large.

Glenna threw herself to close the gap between them, and flung her sword out in the process. It chipped at the Chilfos, slipping down its shoulder before becoming lodged in the ice. The slits in its icy face narrowed with the knowledge that its enemy was quite vulnerable. "Bastard," she growled as she released the hilt and took a few steps back just as a new spear stabbed into the area she'd just been standing.

The Chilfos raised the spear over its head and prepared to throw while she rummaged through her pack for something else. "Aha!" Glenna retrieved a small sword, the size of a dagger in her hand, and threw it as quickly as she could before the ice creature could do the same. The Kokiri Sword hit its mark, and the Chilfos hissed as it fell to the ground. She jumped atop it, grabbed the dagger, and stabbed it a few more times until it disappeared into nothingness. "Good to know this thing can still be of use," she muttered as she put away the Kokiri Sword and picked up her own.

She entered through the door the Chilfos had been guarding and was unimpressed. Suits of armor stood dutifully against the walls, and small tables with chairs filled the room, though they looked as if they had not been touched in quite some time. As with the foyer, parts of the roof were missing, so about a foot of snow covered the floor. "Nice." Glenna noticed no chests and struggled across the room in order to reach the next door. Something moved off to the side of the room, but it went unnoticed by her. When she was close enough to touch the door handle, a gate slid over it, and she jumped backwards. "Now what…?"

Nothing seemed different when she turned around to look at the remainder of the room. "Things fall into disrepair when left in the wrong hands. Much like this kingdom, wouldn't you agree?" Glenna had not taken immediate notice of the fireplace but now that there was a cloaked man standing before it, she was all eyes.

"Excuse me?" Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. The first thought in her head had been Zant, but the voice was much too deep for him. No, this was someone different, yet he seemed the smallest bit familiar. "Who are you?"

The figure shook his head. "It would be a shame to spill the blood of someone who is so easily manipulated… You should have heeded my warning, shape shifter."

Glenna's eyes widened. "_'You do not fit into the puzzle, shape shifter. I will kill you here and now…'_ "

"Ah, you do remember, but too late." The figure raised his arm, and the suits of armor simultaneously raised their legs and arms. Glenna turned away from the man in order to keep a better watch on the rest of her enemies, but he was gone when she glanced over her shoulder.

"Great…" mumbled Glenna, backing up into the fireplace as the suits of armor raised Morning Stars, flails, Maces, and other objects that she wanted no part in fighting.

**XxX**

Link's entry through the door had found him in a not-too-long, but quite narrow hallway with gates on either side of it that revealed broken cannons and other useless items. The hallway itself was empty of anything but two suits of armor standing back to back in the center (and a few more positioned elsewhere in the room), but the northern alcove was displaying… "A chest! Great, this should be the one that Yeta marked on your map," remarked Midna, who seemed a bit cheerier at the idea of getting the bedroom key and mirror shard right away. Hoping her rare optimism was correct, Link ran down the length of the hall and was nearly to the alcove when a loud metallic clanging and crashing forced him to stop and turn around.

The suit of armor closest to him had collapsed to the ground, and the other seemed to be responsible. Clenched in the very animated armor was a ball and chain, which it was swinging over its head and no doubt aiming at Link. As the ball and chain swung away from its wielder, Link backed into a suit of armor positioned by the alcove and ducked as the ball and chain hit it instead of him before throwing himself off to the side to avoid getting hit as it was dragged back; Midna had flown up to the low ceiling to get away. "Looks like it won't be that easy after all…"

**XxxxxX**

Night seemed to fall too quickly in Kakariko Village. Once everyone had turned in for the night, Zelda exited the Inn and relocated to the spring. She knelt down in the water near the small falls and prayed while searching within herself for strength… And light. How did one simply pull light out of themselves, anyway? Not grabbing the ancient spell book was starting to seem like a foolish mistake…

_"Have strength, my daughter." _Zelda's eyes snapped back open. The voice was absolutely unmistakable, but she still had to repress the urge to search her surroundings. Her father's deep, distinctive voice had just spoken to her, but how was that possible?

_'It's not _im_possible,' _she reasoned. She, who had visions of things that seemed impossible, could not afford to reason out whether or not she was losing her mind at the current moment. Instead, Zelda thought of her strong, slightly frightening, father and shut her eyes once more. Her mind showed him as clear as if he were standing right before her, and others followed. Glenna, Midna, Link, Avon, all of the Kakariko Village residents, and even the beast that had assisted her in the castle appeared as crystalline images, and a warmth was steadily building within her heart. Each one of them gave her light until, finally, she saw only herself with a large orb of light hovering above the arrows clenched in her hands. The light joined the arrows, and the real Zelda felt a weight fall onto her shoulder. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that her satchel, which was filled with a full supply of arrows, was glowing (as were the arrows in it). So filled with awe was she that she was not aware she was no longer alone until the ground trembled.

Zant had not entered the village alone; he was flanked by two Shadow Beasts. Yet, the night sky remained just that, and he did not seem to care to change it to Twilight. "Princess Zelda, it's been such a _long _time, has it not?" hissed the usurper king. "Fortunately for me, your 'friend' has a weak mind. Very easy to read."

Zelda clamored out of the spring with her bow in hand. "I knew you would come, but I did not expect you to take so long."

The Shadow Beasts groaned and roared, but they remained beside their king, likely under orders. "I thought I might lead you to believe that you had found a safe place."

"Really? Or are you losing your touch?" she asked delicately. "Perhaps your puppeteer has decided he wishes to cut your strings?"

An ugly snarl appeared on his lips which, as always, were the only visible portion of his face. "Kill her!" he ordered the beasts, which roared and scuttled toward her.

Zelda grabbed one of the glowing arrows and notched it in the bow, shooting it at the beast closest to her. It bellowed an inhuman roar as the arrow scorched it, draining its color, and burned it into nothingness. This did not stop the other creature from coming after her, and she fell it as easily as the first; Zant appeared disconcerted. "Do you have any final words?" growled Zelda in what was possibly her most unnerving voice.

"May you rot when you get yours, _Prince-_" His sentence cut off into a groan as she fired a light arrow into the area where his heart should have been. Zant fell to the ground, but he did not seem to want to give up so easily. On hands and knees, he crawled toward her. Somehow, Zelda had expected more of a challenge, but she pushed the thought from her head as she fired two more arrows at him. He fell to the ground, unmoving, but… The twili's body turned bright cyan and dissolved.

She walked to where his body had been seconds before, but there was no sign of it at all. In fact, there was no sign that anything unusual had occurred at all. Zelda closed her eyes and tilted her head toward the sky as rain drops began to fall. Suddenly, everything seemed to click. "A clone. Not the real thing."


	28. Deliverance

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

**Deliverance**

**A/n: Thanks once again for the R&R. Enjoy!**

"_(I'm not) Come back to me, it's almost easy _

_(Sad at all) Come back again, it's almost easy." _

**-"Almost Easy" by Avenged Sevenfold**

**

* * *

**

A resounding crash just above Glenna's ear forced her to the ground as a flail crushed a corner of the mantel. With sweat coating her skin, she found herself grateful that her reflexes were relatively proficient. _'Too many.' _Her mind went through every weapon she'd once had at her command with Link but now lacked. _'Stop, thinking of what could have been won't help…' _The suits of armor were closing in on her, and she felt her stomach knotting itself to pieces.

As the flail was whipped over the head of one of the creatures, an answer became so obvious that Glenna was unsure of how she had not thought of it sooner. _'But I have to move fast.' _She pushed herself off of the floor and stood in harm's way as the chain was cast in her general direction. Glenna thrusted her sword in the air and the chain immediately wrapped around the blade, so she pulled quickly. The suit of armor clumsily fell forward and clattered to the ground, where it fell to pieces.

Glenna unwrapped the chain from her sword, sheathing it at her side, and took the flail into her hands. There was almost no exposure spots on the armor and, even if there was, there was nothing inside of them for her to attack, so she decided the flail was her best bet. She swung it at the suits of armor, destroying the unused tables as she went. The snow's height proved to be a problem, but more so for her enemies than for Glenna herself, who could also move faster than them.

The job was over quickly, leaving pieces of armor in the snow, and Glenna tossed the flail behind her as she exited through the door, which had lifted its gate at long last.

**XxxxxX **

"Link, you've got to Clawshot _away _from that thing, but _before _he throws the ball and chain!" As he hung from the ceiling, he thought that the might have appreciated Midna's advice… If she was beating the ominous creature waving its flail, rather than telling him what he needed to do. It was sound advice, sure, but he was having a bit of trouble executing it as he hung from the wired ceiling because, somehow, he had not moved far away from the creature beneath the suit of armor. _'It would be nice if I had another Clawshot, or something like it.' _

The spiked ball flew away from its own and knocked Link flat on his back, and Midna smacked her forehead. "Sometimes I feel like I have to do _everything _for you," she mumbled, though he knew it was in a more joking manner than anything else. As Darkhammer steadily approached Link, his weapon became engulfed in black and orange before flying out of his head. Darkhammer, no doubt with a dumbfounded expression beneath the armor, looked left and right for his weapon. "Don't you know how dangerous it is to swing that thing in such a small space? Why don't you try fighting fair?" asked Midna with a serene expression as the creature looked at her and his weapon dangling beside her.

Instead, the desperate beast ran toward her with its hands outstretched; the action was somewhere between alarming and amusing, but Link sobered up long enough to run and slap his sword down on the tail protruding from the armor. Darkhammer gave a loud, inhuman cry before rounding on Link. Link simply stood before him and, despite the creature's slightly taller stature, it stared down at him with bewilderment. Link rolled onto the floor, around its body, and stabbed its tail again, but Darkhammer, though confused, still did not want to give in. "Here," called Midna from behind before throwing the Ball and Chain to Link, who fortunately caught the dangerous weapon. "Now show him what's so dangerous about this place!"

Link had never touched such a weapon in his life, so he simply copied what he had seen his enemy do. He swung the ball and chain quickly over his head and released, knocking the creature into another suit of armor. This proved to be enough for Darkhammer, whose body decayed and disappeared before his eyes. When the gate lifted, Midna hid the Ball and Chain on her person and they ran forward to see what was in the chest.

He reached deeper and deeper until he pulled out… "Ordon Goat Cheese."

"Excuse me?" asked Midna as she stared at the circular, striped cheese.

"It's cheese made from the milk of the goats back home," he mumbled. "Why it's in a chest here…"

Midna growled. "Some divine _prank_. We had to go through all of that just for a stupid wheel of cheese? Let's go back and see if that girl's mind has cleared yet…"

Link cleared his throat. She glared back at him, obviously wanting to shout "What?", then realized that she could not be seen and disappeared back into his shadow.

He exited the narrow hallway quickly and set back into the Courtyard. As he stepped into the snow, something rushed at him immediately, and he pulled his sword out and slashed it at it before registering that it was a White Wolfos. The Wolfos gave a pathetic whimper as it flew through the air and rolled onto the snow. His heart was beating painfully against his ribcage; at first glance, the Wolfos had looked exactly like Glenna. _'Of course it does, it's a white wolf,' _he reasoned. What worried him the most was the manner in which he attacked. Would he have done the same thing if Glenna had rushed at him like that?

Pushing the thoughts out of his head as he trudged the rest of the way to the inside of the house, Link was unbeknownst of the fact that Glenna was watching him from the second story.

It was strange to be inside the warm, safe sitting room when so many monsters prowled around in other parts of the house. "Yeta-"

"Uh, little human! You find key, uh?"

Link shook his head and pulled the cheese out of his pack. "No, but I found this…"

"…Sorry, uh, guess I remember wrong place…" Link wanted to ask her why she would have a wheel of cheese stuffed inside of a chest anyway but lost the opportunity as she reached out. "Give me map, uh? Maybe remember right place this time…" He handed it to her, and she made a quick mark on another part of the map which was not terribly far from where he was now. "Husband might want cheese for soup, uh? You go see?"

"Yeah, sure…" Link memorized the location before stuffing the map away and entering the kitchen. As soon as he did, he almost regretted it.

Yeto was hovering over a large cauldron, but he began to sniff the air as soon as Link entered. "Smell good, uh…" Then, like before, the yeti moved too quickly for Link to even think of reacting. He pushed him over and pulled the cheese out of the bag and threw it in the soup. The soup turned a shade darker, but it certainly smelled much better. "Thanks, uh!"

Rubbing his arm, Link mumbled, "Sure, no problem…" Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something move in the pots that were separated from the rest of the room by a shelf. When he approached, he said, "Ooccoo, you can come out."

The bird-like creature immediately poked her head out from behind the pot she'd been attempting to hide near. "Fellow adventurer, we meet again so soon! If you're here for the mirror shard, I think your wolf friend is quite ahead of you."

"'Wolf-friend'?" he echoed. "Glenna's here?"

"Oh, yes! That large fellow brought her here as a wolf… He wanted to add her to the soup but did not seem too disappointed by the fact that she had left. But she talked to the smaller one and has been looking around for the mirror, Ooccoo thinks."

Link had to actively force himself to ignore all of the accusations Midna was growling in his head. "What are you doing here?"

"Ooccoo thought she might find the sky writing here… But she has seen none."

"Why didn't you go off with Glenna?"

"Well, goodness, I'm so used to being with you, aren't I? I thought that, since we're both looking for the same thing, we might want to go off together?" Though confused at first, Link realized she was referring to restoring the Dominion Rod.

Link nodded. "Then, we should stay together. Let's go." Ooccoo and Junior stowed away in his pouch, and exited the kitchen. He walked through the sitting room, through the foyer, and stopped at the foot of the staircase.

Midna reappeared. "So, Blondie's here and, on top of that, looking for the mirror shard? Does that sound trustworthy to you, Link?"

"She wants to help," he argued.

"Help someone, sure, but us? I wonder what you would do if you found out that she was helping Zant. Would you fight her like you would any of Zant's other lackeys? Hm?"

Link shook his head. "Let's not talk about this." He began to climb the stairs, which ended quite quickly, and jumped the gap to the landing. There was only one door up there (well, there was a second, but it had been long blocked off by fallen rafters and other things), and he was somewhat surprised when he walked through. A foot of snow had fallen thanks to the lack of roofing, and the tables and fireplace were smashed. Footsteps had been left in the snow as well as pieces of suits of armor. Except for the fallen snow, nearly all of the damage looked recent. Midna and Link exchanged a glance as the unspoken answer to the question in both of their minds lingered in the air. "Looks like we weren't the only ones who had trouble with suits of armor…"

Midna remained quiet as Link clambered over the mounds of snow across the room. Once outside, they were too soon greeted with the stinging wind. "Hmm, lots of those icy skeletons around here… But you won't have to deal with them. I have a decent feeling about the location marked on your map…" The map miraculously appeared in her hands, and she turned it over a few times. "…Which is that way, by the way. Come on, let's go." He followed her as she veered to the left where a lone door sat. There was a gap and a slope past it, leading way up to a large door with a thick lock. Midna sighed and floated back to his side upon noticing his lingering. "That must be the famous bedroom. We're so close to that mirror shard, I can almost _taste _it… Maybe I could just break the lock on that door and call it a day…"

"No, come on. We're almost there. Let's go." He opened the door and stood back to allow Midna first entry, before following after. Once inside, she looked around with a disappointed expression.

"Not much to this room… What are we missing?" They were standing on what looked like a balcony, which held a couple of tables and fallen paintings, but it was still inside. When she looked down, she found a lower floor, which looked like a chapel. She was hindered from searching further by Link pushing her down as the door below flew open.

Glenna opened the door and, much to her surprise, found two rows of pews with an aisle separating them. There was not much else to the room, though it had a higher level that she could not reach, and it brought up more questions about who had once lived in this place. Shivering and exhausted, Glenna walked toward one of the middle pews and sat herself down. Then, she bowed her head and sorted through her concerns and thoughts to decipher a decent prayer to the Goddesses. Icicles hung down from the rafters of the ceiling, but she paid them no attention.

Link and Midna peeked over the ledge of the balcony and watched her. "What do you think she's praying for?"

"Us to drop dead is always a possibility," answered Midna without skipping a beat. He threw her an angry glance, but she seemed not to notice. "Hey, those icicles usually form into Chilfos, don't they? Guess Blondie's luck has finally run short."

The icicles dropped to the carpet below and formed into six foot soldiers, but they were light enough on their feet that Glenna appeared not to hear them; her head was still bowed. His mind drifted elsewhere for a moment, back to the Goron Mines. _"Watch it!" Glenna had shouted, pushing Link down as a single arrow shot down from the overlooking cliff of the area. The arrow caught her in the shoulder only because she maneuvered herself so that it was so. Link stared at her in shock. "That... Are you okay?" Glenna nodded. "This? I've had worse than this before. This would have, however, caught you straight in the heart, thus ending your journey as the 'chosen one'."_ Link put a hand on the railing. "She's still our friend. We can't leave her to be impaled and killed by those things."

Midna was staring at him as if he had grown two heads. "How could you say that, Link? I bet the only reason she's here is to get the shard before we do! Not that humans can touch the shard… so it would be amusing to see what happens to her when she grabs it…" Her voice was utilizing the bitterness that he had not heard since the beginning of their journey but, lately, was constantly used when speaking of Glenna.

Easing himself atop the railing, he said, "I never said you had to help me." Then, he leapt down to the floor below and raised his shield as several icy spears were hurled in his direction. Finally, Glenna looked up, startled. "Get down!" He was surprised when she complied, flinging herself onto the ground and below her pew. Her reaction had been in the heat of the moment, and it was a poor choice. The Chilfos could easily get at her, nonetheless.

Link began to swing the spiked ball over his head and hurled it at the Chilfos that stood two rows ahead of Glenna. It shattered the beast into pieces, but acted as a double-edged sword: it destroyed the pews around her as he dragged it back toward himself. He noticed her crawling beneath the wreckage and took advantage of a Chilfos advantage by taking a shot at it with the ball and chain.

Beneath all of the sword strikes and hisses from the Chilfos, the sound of a slamming door echoed in the room. When, finally, there was nothing left but shards of ice as a sign that the horrid creatures had been there, Midna faced Link with an expression of deep dislike, and he knew that he was in for it. "Blondie could have taken care of those things."

"We needed to get to this room anyway, remember?" He pointed to the marking on the map that Yeta had created though he knew that was not what Midna wanted to hear. When he started for the door that would, hopefully, finally lead them to the key, Midna hovered in his way. Though he could have easily brushed past her, her presence was a strong thing, and there was no use in ignoring it.

"I don't know why I didn't see it before," mumbled Midna, her mouth slightly open. "This thing with Glenna, it's more than friendship." Her voice hardened significantly, and it sounded accusing.

Link was not quite sure of the reason for her anger, but he was too embarrassed to question it. "It's not, it's loyalty to a friend. She helped Talo, treated the children with kindness-"

"You sound like an idiot." Silence passed between them, as did an icy cold that had nothing to do with the weather. "Don't you understand anything? I was almost willing to forgive her back at the Temple of Time. Almost. But she's done it again. She feels no loyalties for you, certainly not to the measure that you feel for her." Link was able to read between her words to get the general idea of what she was actually saying.

And he was ready to argue once again. "I don't understand why you keep fighting me on this. How could you know what she feels, anyway? How do you know?"

"I don't know." It was one of the first times he had ever heard Midna admit she was not right. "But this isn't about you, or me, or even Glenna. This about my people, how many times do I have to say it before it sticks into your thick skull? If you get killed because you insist that your friend is who you think she is, then the twili will be lost. Hyrule will be lost. In your place, Glenna would not and could not help, because she _wants _Zant to be in control." She was not telling the whole truth but also knew that Link was unaware. Her people were all she had, and Hyrule deserved her help for all that Link and Zelda had done for her so far; those were not lies.

Link seemed to have been struck into silence. There was no decent response that he could find. "I won't admit to you what it is I feel for Glenna because, if you're right, it doesn't matter."

Midna wanted to hit him and embrace him at the same time; the feeling was maddening. "I _need _you, don't forget that. Wherever Glenna is, whatever she's doing, it doesn't matter. We're a team, and we can handle anything. Do you believe that?" She wanted to say more but knew it was impractical and dangerous, so she put her emotion into the words she _could _speak.

_'I'm the Hero,' _Link had to remind himself. Heroes did not turn their backs on their missions in favor of fulfilling their own selfish desires. Aside from that… "You're my friend, and you're not wrong. Let's stop fighting about this. I'll… stop chasing after her. I'll stop hoping. Alright?" He was not sure if he could actually suppress his feelings that Glenna would turn out to be the girl he thought she was, but he would, at least, stop looking for her. If she wanted to be found, then she would have allowed it. Midna rested her hands on his shoulder and, for a moment, seemed like she wanted to say something more. Instead, she patted his arm and glided into the small room beyond the Chapel.

He followed her and threw open the lid of the chest to find… "Please no more soup ingredients," he heard Midna mumble, and she was right. Sitting at the bottom of the chest was a small key with a heart-shaped bow. "Aha! Finally! Okay, let's hurry and get back to Yeta!" Midna had retreated to his shadow, which left him with time to think… and beat himself up. It was sitting on the tip of his tongue, the sentence: "You were right, Midna." Once again, Glenna had gotten herself into trouble and he had helped, only for her to run off. _Again_. He had made his promise to Midna, and the next time he saw Glenna, it would have to be war.

Link nearly jumped out of his skin when he opened the door to find Yeta standing there. "I feel much better after drink husband's soup… I get worried and come to find you. Did you find key?" Link held up the glistening object with a dagger-like point instead of teeth. "You found it, uh! I take you to bedroom. Come." Yeta was not the fastest-moving creature he had ever seen, though it was to be expected with her round shape and heavy-looking sweater. He patiently followed her, focusing his mind on getting the mirror shard and nothing else. They walked up a ramp which wound up and eventually stopped in front of a large door with an even larger lock. "This it, uh." She stepped off to the side, allowing him to unlock the door, whose lock fell open like a broken heart and clattered to the ground.

Yeta lightly brushed past him, and he entered the room behind her. The bedroom was quite grand, especially in comparison to all of the other rooms, which had been in disrepair in some way. It was spacious with a King-sized canopied bed (which he somehow doubted the yetis fit in comfortably), a grandfather clock, and other normal-looking furniture. Link looked around in anticipation for the mirror shard and, at last, his eyes fell on it. She had almost made it to the shard, which was hung like a normal mirror by a nail and small chain.

Link quickly followed her across the room, and she paused directly before the mirror. Something like a dreamy sigh escaped her lips, instantly sending a jolt through his system that said: "Something's not right."

"Such a pretty mirror, uh… Like it so much… So pretty… Pretty, uh…"

"Link, there's something wrong with this girl. Look. Look in the mirror!" Midna's whisper might have startled him had it been more frightening than the scene before him. Yeta's head was twitching now, and her brown face seemed to be darkening.

"Pretty, pretty mirror… Lovely… Mine…" Her whole body seemed to be turning black as the twitches increased. Painful-sounding grunts and groans escaped her lips. Then, suddenly… An inhuman screech climbed out of Yeta's throat, only she was Yeta no longer. Her head seemed to do a 360, replacing her light-colored eyes with blazing red ones and a pitch black face. "NOT TAKE MIRROR!"

"Link-!" warned Midna, who was cut off as every one of the mirrors shattered and an icy wind blew into the room. A separate gust lifted Yeta up to where the other winds had pooled at the top of the room, and he watched until something knocked him backwards and all he could see was white. Something pulled him back to his feet as the white cleared to reveal a completely different area.

The carpet beneath his feet had turned to ice, which quickly encased the entire room. Standing at least ten times larger than Link was an icy figure that resembled something of a doll. It glided on the ice, approaching Link menacingly. "Link, use that ball and chain you took from the Darkhammer!" ordered Midna, who was floating beside him and staring up at the ice mass with a concerned expression. "Come on, before it gets too close!" Link quickly followed her instruction and begin to twirl the weapon above his head. When Blizzeta came close enough, he released the ball and chain, sending the mass flying around the room much in the same manner as a Mini-Freezard. "Good, keep it going!"

Moving much faster now, the ice mass came flying back toward him, and he threw his weapon as soon as he could, luckily striking it as it came within a few inches of touching him. The icy layers shattered to reveal the possessed Yeta floating in midair. He ran toward her, slipping and sliding as he went, and she growled inhumanly once more. The ice on the walls shattered and acted like buffers by surrounding her. Cold air appeared around and formed an icy shell for Blizzeta. Then, she and the icicles disappeared higher into the ceiling, where he could barely see them. "No, no, look down!" instructed Midna as Link searched the opaque air for his enemy.

He looked down just in time to see the icicles following him. Link ran as fast as he could manage on the ice and narrowly missed being pinned to the ground by the ice. The icicles promptly lifted back into the air, but they didn't follow him, instead they formed a circle and dropped around him like a prison. "Hurry, the ball and chain!" If the situation had been less dire, Link probably would have pointed out that Midna was sounding a good deal like Navi. Instead, he took her advice and swung at one of the closer icicles, which shattered after one hit. Before he had the opportunity to go through the hole, Blizzeta's shell dropped on top of him.

The pain was worse than he had imagined, though it did not crush him. As soon as she knocked him down, Blizetta's shell lifted itself back into the air… But new icicles, thinner than the others, formed and dropped in order to pin him to the icy ground. "Link! Oh, boy…" Midna used telekinesis to remove some of the icicles - enough for Link to free himself, but he still did not move - but she was halted in her efforts when Blizzeta's shell fell on top of her, sending her gliding across the ice.

Midna hit the icy wall, and ice formed around her arms and legs to imprison her there. She wanted to growl, to scream, to yell obscenities at the creature, but she knew it was not Yeta's fault. After she had seen what she had in the Temple of Time with the spider, she should have anticipated the current chain of events. Of _course _Yeta would become possessed by the mirror. The spider had gone from a measly creature to a full-blown killing machine. How could she not have guessed the same could happen with a more intelligent being?

One of the larger icicles fell atop Link again, and he grunted in pain but still did not move. Blood had formed on his back from where he had been struck and she, the Twilight Princess, was powerless to do anything…

Ice was blasted away from the south wall of the room. Chunks of it flew and skittered across the ground, and Yeta paused in her torture of the Hero. Midna could have really used the use of obscenities just then as she caught sight of the person in the man-made entrance. Instead, she called - despite the ice in her lungs - "Blondie, help Link!" She knew it was really an unnecessary declaration, for she had suspected Glenna's true colors all along.

The blonde wonder ran over to Link as the larger icicles floated into the air again and freed and helped him up. He seemed more than a bit sluggish, and Glenna had to pull him along as the icicles began to fall in an attempt to crush them. They were lifted quickly and, once again, formed a circle. Before they fell, Glenna looked for the hole in the ice ring, found it, and moved herself and him close to the escape route. "Link, listen to me. You have to move fast, okay?" she mumbled to him as they moved through the hole. Blizzeta plunged to the ground, and Glenna urged him, "Now, now! Hit her!"

Much to her surprise, Link quickly swung the Ball and Chain over his head and over to Blizzeta. It partially crushed the shell, but it wasn't enough. Not yet. They continued to run away from the icicles, Glenna began to slash her sword against them as they fell to give them a larger escape area, and Link used his ball and chain on Blizzeta. Though she seemed understandably annoyed at the duo, the possessed creature did not attempt to separate them, likely because she could not find an opening to do so. The shell, badly fragmented, clamored to the icy floor once more with Blizzeta breathing labored breaths, and Link hurled his weapon at her for the final time. Blizzeta and her platform were hurled into one of the walls, where she writhed and screeched in deep pain, and finally flew to the ground, where the remainder of the shell shattered and the ice coating the room dissipated.

The remainder of the ice - the one that had formed the shell - flew into the center of the room and disappeared in order to reveal the mirror fragment. Midna was freed just in time to take it and hide it away with the other piece. Before she, Link, or Glenna could say anything, the door flew open and the imp disappeared from view. "YETA!" came Yeto's loud roar as he ran across the room, throwing Link out of the way in the process. He knelt beside Yeta and tenderly took her into his arms.

"Uh… What wrong… with me… uh…?" groaned Yeta.

Yeto's eyes seemed to scan her body for wounds, of which there were none. "Nothing wrong. You just dream, uh…"

Her eyes widened as she turned toward the empty chain and hook on the wall. "Yeto! Mirror you gave… Gone…"

Yeto shook his head rigorously. "No. Look in reflection of Yeto's eyes. True beauty lie there!" Even Glenna could not suppress a coo. "We no need mirror, Yeta."

"My love, uh…" mumbled Yeta weakly as Yeto hugged her tightly.

Midna took advantage of their distraction as she reappeared and summoned a portal. "Come on, let's go." Glenna entered first, not sure she would be allowed to go if she waited, then Link and Midna.

They reappeared on what Glenna assumed to be the steps to the house. "We only need the last mirror shard now. The mirror has awful power, just look at what it did to that girl… This thing, it might have to be destroyed once we assemble it," added Midna in a very low mumble before rounding on Glenna. "And you. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Midna…" protested Link weakly.

Glenna held up a hand. "No, she's every right to be angry with me. I'm sorry, Midna, Link. I know it's nowhere near enough, but I can't even put my feelings into words right now… If you hear me out, then maybe you'll understand. _Maybe _you'll be willing to forgive me."

Midna's lips were in a tight line. "Do you know where the final shard is?"

"I do."

"Let's go back to Kakariko. Once you two get patched up, we'll talk."

"Wait!" Midna rounded on Glenna with the most withering of glares. "Listen, I left Avianna in Zora's Domain. You don't have to come with me. Just send me there, and I'll meet up with you in Kakariko."

Midna snorted, and both hylians raised their eyebrows at her. "And leave you to rendezvous with Zant? I don't think so, Blondie. Zora's Domain, then." Their bodies dissolved into twilight fragments without warning and, next thing Link and Glenna knew, they were plunging into the cool water of the throne room.

The cold did nothing for their already frozen limbs (Glenna guessed it was a type of revenge thing on Midna's part), and they quickly broke to the surface and climbed out. "You two know how to make an entrance," noted a quiet, young boy; they looked toward the throne to find Ralis sitting in it with a smile. "No, I will not question what exactly just happened. I owe you two my life and my appreciation."

"You look good there, Prince Ralis," remarked Glenna with a weak bow.

Ralis smiled. "You do not have to bow to me. As I said, I owe you two my life and eternal appreciation. Did what I tell you help, Link?"

While Glenna sent a curious, sidelong glance toward him, the Ordon boy nodded. "Yes, very much."

"Feel free to stop by whenever you'd like. And, Link? You can keep the coral earring."

Link managed a weak smile. "Thank you." Glenna led him out of the throne room and down a sloped, claustrophobic tunnel, which turned into a large, open passageway. Sure enough, Avianna was standing where Glenna had left her. "You were telling the truth."

"I find it hurtful that you would think I'd lie about something like that." She did not say it mockingly or sarcastically, and Link felt a little guilty as he climbed onto the filly behind her owner. "We have a relatively long ride ahead of us. Do you care to tell me what happened? At least part of it?"

Though Glenna had been hesitant to say anything about what had happened with Zant at all, there was something about the cool, crisp night air that made her less fearful. Either that or not having to stare into Link's face while she said it. "Once you left for the Gerudo Desert, all hell broke loose. I decided that I needed to find Zelda, so I went back to Hyrule Castle. It _seemed _like a good idea, but looking back on it… I'm not sure if it was, though I'd still do it over. Anyway, I climbed all the way to the top in order to get to the throne room, and I didn't find Zelda. I didn't think anyone was up there, at first, until Zant slithered out from behind the throne like the filth he is and attacked me. And it was okay at first. He demanded to know where you and Midna were; he told me he had killed Zelda.

"Like a fool, I believed him, but it still was not enough. He beat me and beat me until he grew tired of it and threw me in the dungeons. Then, he seemed to figure out my weak spot. He threatened the lives of the Ordon children, Telma, and my sister… And I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't lie. I told him where you were, and I was so sorry, but I was so afraid…" Glenna's lip curled back unpleasantly. "But Zant told me he already knew that and simply wanted to see if he could get me to betray you."

Link's hands would have curled into fists had they not been sitting on Glenna's hips. He wanted to curse and find Zant immediately so that he could kill him for what he had done. To think that he had doubted Glenna after what had happened… He felt like a jackass. "Glenna, I-"

"There's more. Since I started, just let me spill my guts out, okay?" Glenna heaved a sigh. "He wanted me to do something for him. That something was using the twilight sword to bring that fossil, Stallord, to life. I'm sorry. I didn't want to. And he wanted it timed so that you and Midna could see what a 'traitor' I was. I had an idea he was going to do something awful to you guys when you got out because he sent me away from the mirror and to the middle of the desert. The last 'job' he gave to me was to stop you guys from getting the shard from the Temple of Time, which is why I was there with the Shadows Beasts…" Another sigh. "He didn't tell me to flip out on you or try to attack Midna - though I'm sure he would've thought it a huge bonus - but I was just so angry and after everything that happened, I was having a hard time keeping it together. I lost my mind. I pulled myself together once I went to the Temple, and met Navi. That damn fairy sure knows how to lecture and guilt, too, by the way. She convinced me to stop helping Zant because, by that time, I felt so guilty that I wanted to believe you and Midna could do something horrible to me: sacrificing Avon. That's it, really. I'm sorry, I really am. The only reason I know about the location of the mirror shards is because Zant is crazy and arrogant."

**XxxxxX**

It was very early in the morning by the time they reached the village, which was empty of everyone - even the Gorons, which was strange. There was no sign that anything was off at all, but Midna popped out of the shadows and hovered over the ground between the spring and the Sanctuary. "Something's not quite right here…"

"There's no sign of anything," pointed out Link though he, too, could sense something was a little off. Darkness seemed to be lingering in the air though there was no sign of any disturbance.

"I'm sure Zelda could tell us," remarked Glenna as she dismounted Avianna in the 'stable' near Epona; two horses stood nearby, meaning that Rusl and Telma still remained. They entered the Inn as quietly as possible, and began to ascend the stairs. "I wonder if there are any rooms left open?"

Link shook his head. "I wouldn't count on it…" They passed the room he usually used, but it seemed that it was the only empty room. Nearby was Zelda's room, and Glenna quietly crept in while he hovered in the hallway.

She did not get within a foot of the bed before the princess sat up, still fully clothed. There was a smile on her face as she glanced out into the hallway and noted Link's presence. "I see you worked things out at last?" The smile was so genuine that Glenna could not help but return it. "Come, come in, Link. And close the door. I have important matters to speak of with you." Once he sat beside Glenna on the floor, she added, "Midna?" The Twilight Princess promptly placed herself beside Link and away from Glenna.

"Did we _all _work things out?" Glenna and Midna refused to look at each other, answering Zelda's question easily enough. The Princess sighed. "Well?"

"Glenna's spine is too weak for her to be trusted. I want her to simply tell Link and I of the location of the final shard but not come with us to get it," stated Midna coolly.

Glenna pursed her lips and sent a glare toward the twili. "I don't have a weak spine? How could you say that?"

"Well, Blondie, if you're going to let a tiny little threat concerning others scare you, then you probably shouldn't get into the Hero business. Being a heroine means that you have to think about the population as a whole, not a select few."

"You-" But Glenna had no decent retort, and Midna knew that as she grinned.

"I didn't run away from my people; I was sent away. All this time, I've been working to help them, haven't I? And what have you done?"

Glenna wished to reach across Link and strangle the imp, but she repressed the urge. "I did everything I could to help Zelda. I even went searching for her in Hyrule, and that proved to be awfully stupid, didn't it?"

"Exactly."

"Halt, stop your bickering." Zelda spoke with the natural authority of a ruler, but she did not seem to realize it. "The three of you are all quite strong and very worthy heroes. Glenna was frightened of what would happen if Zant carried out his threat - and that may have been what he intended to do tonight. Or perhaps he wished to frighten her into thinking so."

Glenna and Midna stopped exchanging glares at the princess' mention of the usurper. "Zant came here?" asked Link.

"Yes, as I knew he would, but it was not quite what I expected. I found power within myself to utilize light arrows and attack him as he came toward me, but… He was not real."

"What?"

"I believe he was a clone. As I said, his purpose was likely to frighten Glenna by having him appear to one of the children, or even just to me. I do not think he expected me to fight back but, nonetheless, it is what it is. It leads me to believe that Zant may no longer be in Hyrule."

Link's eyebrows knitted together in thought. "Then, where could he be?"

"The Twilight Realm," mumbled Midna immediately. "Of course. But how could he get back? He broke the Mirror. Unless…"

Zelda nodded. "Ganon. It's possible that, somehow, he could allow Zant to move between the realms easily."

"Ganon was bent on claiming Hyrule as his," remarked Glenna, "there's no way that he would just let Zant go back to the Twilight Realm."

"Maybe he didn't expect us to do half as well as we have been, and he's gone back to the Twilight Realm to come up with a new plan?" suggested Link.

Zelda seemed troubled. "I think it may be worse than that."

"Worse?"

"Ganon and Zant may have separated."

Glenna attempted to work out the idea in her head. "But he'd be taking his power away from Zant, then."

"Zant has the Fused Shadows, and, as you mentioned, he is pretty arrogant… I'm sure he's expecting us to come after him and lose because we don't have the Fused Shadows. But he's betrayed our tribe's magic; there's no way the Shadows will work for him." Midna nodded to herself. "All we have to do is find that last shard, and we'll show him just how much he's underestimated us. Where's the final shard, Blondie?"

Zelda shook her head. "Nothing can be solved tonight. You all need your rest. Why don't we finish this conversation in the morning?" There was still hesitation in her tone. She wanted to tell them something, but, at the same time, she didn't. "Midna, I wish to speak with you of… something. Stay here. Link and Glenna, goodnight."

Though curious to know what she was missing out on, Glenna followed Link to his room. "Do you mind if I sleep on the floor, or does my very presence put you off?"

"Glenna-"

"Because if you're afraid that I might stab you in your sleep…-"

"Why don't you sleep on the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor?"

She raised her eyebrows. "So chivalrous." Without arguing, she climbed onto the bed, and he attempted to get comfortable on the floor, which was a difficult feat. A quilt fell atop him, covering his face. "About the last shard…"

Link covered his body with the quilt and looked up at Glenna, who was staring at the ceiling. "Yeah?"

"Zant said something about the final shard being 'in the heavens'… Do you have any idea what that means?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, if not better," he replied. His thoughts drifted to Ooccoo and Junior, who had departed without a word. Ooccoo had mentioned sky writing… The Oocca must have had something to do with the final shard, but he couldn't imagine where in the 'heavens' they would have to go to find it. They were no closer to finding that shard than he was to restoring his rod.

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**A/n: The balcony in the Chapel room was not present in the game, but I'm sure you knew that. Not too much to say except please review, and I'll see you next chapter.**


	29. The Only Moment We Were Alone

**Twenty-Nine:  
**The Only Moment We Were Alone

**A/n: This story has been giving me a wonderful amount of trouble, which is why I haven't updated. Even after consulting my friend on it, I realized that I just have to write what feels right and go with the flow. I still promise that this will be finished before the end of the year. I give it two months. Anyway, enjoy the chapter… It's doesn't have a whole lot in it, but it's something!**

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An excellent amount of sunlight was filtering through the window of the room by the time Link awoke, alerting him to the fact that he had done quite well at sleeping in. The sheets on the bed had been thrown into disarray, and there was only the faintest of outlines in the mattress. Glenna had left some time ago, and he instantly felt nervousness clench his stomach. _'What if she's left?' _

The thought was driven from his mind once he descended the stairs and little Luda approached him. "Link, good morning!" There was a certain air of excitement to the girl, which did not go unnoticed by him. "My father told me to send you to the Sanctuary once you awoke. A friend of Telma's is waiting for you in the cellar."

Link nodded his head, thanking the little girl as he set off for the sanctuary. The building was surprisingly empty. In fact, he realized, he had not seen much of anybody outside, but he supposed that might have had something to do with the ugly grey clouds hanging over the village. He dropped down into the cellar and reached the circular chamber. There were two rooms on his left, one of which housed the slumbering Avon, and an owl statue to his right. Hovering before it was Shad, who gave a little jump when Link tapped him on the shoulder.

"Link, old boy, you gave me quite a start there!" Upon the adjustment of his glasses, he continued, "But I am pleased to see you. I do not believe I ever was able to tell you what I was researching, hm? By now you must know that I am researching the heavens. It was the life's work of my father, who painfully researched a race known as the Oocca, who were said to live somewhere in the heavens above. Alas, he was never able to discover this place, but he left his work to me… And I think I am getting close, Link, I really do! Do you see this statue?" Link nodded as they turned toward the Owl statue, which seemed to have some sort of strange writing on it. "And the writing… According to my father's manuscripts, that is known as Sky Writing, I am sure of it. 'Awaken us with the word that breaks the seal.' That is what it says. You see, many of the statues are strewn across Hyrule, but most of them have a void where the belly is. Strange, hm? But perhaps not as strange as your own tragic problem. Your friend, Ilia's lost memory is quite saddening, really. Yes, yes, very sad indeed…"

Link had been hoping for more from Shad somehow. He was still no more closer to discovering the true location of the final mirror shard than he had before falling asleep. "Thanks, Shad. I hope that I can help you, somehow."

"Yes, yes, old boy… Statues, a word that breaks the seal, a heavenly rod…" Shad was mumbling to himself, giving Link the perfect opportunity to exit. As he passed the room housing Avon, he could not help but glance into it, not that he expected to see anything amazing. Or, maybe, he was hoping to see her miraculously sitting up. She remained laying in the bed with her eyes shut, feigning sleep. He nearly shot out of his skin when he realized there was a second person in that room, fixing her blue eyes into a stare.

Glenna pushed her chair away from the bed, patted Avon's pale hand, and exited the room. "Owl statues, huh?" she mused as she started out of the basement. "I think I've seen a few of those a handful of times. I can show you where they are if you want."

"You should make sure you know _all _of the locations, however," remarked Shad, who seemed to have broken away from his muttering, at least for a moment. "I know that there is one in the desert, near the mesa. There is also supposed to be one in Lake Hylia."

"And a bunch of others are scattered around the provinces, often in different parts of Hyrule Field," added Glenna with a nod as she pulled a worn map out of the pouch at her hip. "If you could mark down the ones you named, we should be good to go."

**XxX**

Fortunately for them, there was only one statue in all of the Gerudo Desert, and it proved extremely simple to find though not, perhaps, as easy to find as something else… "Is that the Bridge of Eldin?" asked Glenna, dumbfounded, as she stared up at a hulking mass at the very top of a plateau.

Midna jumped out of Link's shadow and floated to the very top to get a better look. Sure enough, the Twilight Beasts had, for one reason or another, placed the bridge in the center of the desert. "Isn't that just convenient?" cackled Midna while Glenna grumbled beneath her breath. They had already been to most of the statues, grabbing torn pieces of parchment once Link animated them with his fully-functioning rod, and, as such, they'd seen the owl statue in Eldin. To get to the statue, they'd had to hurl themselves across the gap in the bridge. Turning toward Link (because the only time she directly faced Glenna was when they were hurling arguments at one another), she prompted, "We should bring this back, right? Nothing else you feel like doing?" He shook his head, and the three of them, along with the bridge, disappeared into Twilight Fragments.

The bridge landed in its place before either hylian did, so they collapsed onto the stone once it was replaced. "What's left?" asked Link, glancing at Glenna as she pulled out the map.

"The statue in Lake Hylia and the other one… which is in a different part of Lanayru." With a theatrical sigh, Midna transported them to the lake, just outside of the light spirit's spring.

Link looked over Glenna's shoulder, but it was nigh impossible for him to tell where the statue was supposed to be; to him, it looked like Shad had randomly marked an area on the map. "Where is it?"

"It looks like it's inside of the cliff wall, which must mean there's a cave somewhere… Did you ever get any bombs?"

"Yes, Glenna, I finally bought them."

With an approving nod, she started up a bridge. At first, he thought she was going to lead him to the tall tower where Auru like to hang out, but she beelined for a rocky pillar jutting from the water. He raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing as she took a few steps backward and took a running start. She landed on the pillar with ease and, from there, climbed onto a higher part of the land. Glenna did not direct him, but she did not seem to be in the mood to say much since the previous night.

The only time she had spoke was to give out directions or answer a question, or warn him about a monster. Though things were understandably different given the past few days, Link did not think things should have _felt _so different. Nonetheless, he followed her in silence as she walked toward the cliff wall. She nodded at him, gestured to the wall, and took a few steps backward. Link inwardly sighed, but, again, said nothing as he lit a bomb and placed it beside the wall; Midna was probably saying enough in his head for the three of them.

The entryway was so secret and man-made that Link was more than a little surprised when he realized there was an actual cave beyond the opening. He led the way with his lantern, and they walked in silence for only a moment. "Seems like the perfect place for Chus and other creepy-crawlies to hang out," mumbled Glenna as her eyes darted around. "I've become a little picky about the places I go ever since we started this… adventure. At one point, I wouldn't have cared about eating rats, and now I'm afraid that one might come near me."

Her jokes made it easy for him to relax, at least a little. "You eating a rat. There's something I never thought I would picture."

"As a wolf, I can't imagine eating them as a person."

Link opened his mouth to tell her there was really no difference then closed it. There was no point. Being the first time she was speaking normally, he was unsure of what to say, though there was plenty on his mind. He wanted to shake her for what she had done, but he was quickly reminded of what Zant had _done _to her. It was Zant he wanted to shake, not Glenna; though, perhaps, he wanted to do more than shake the twili… So engrossed in his thoughts was Link that he jumped when Midna spoke. He jumped again when he realized that Glenna and Midna were holding a _civil _conversation.

"Zant, you mentioned he usurped the throne, and that he wasn't the rightful ruler, but what was he? For that matter, what are slash were you?" Glenna's voice held little more than curiosity.

Midna sighed, though it was not out of impatience. She sounded like she was worn. "Zant always waited hand and foot on the royal family. He thought he was sure to be given the crown, but it was no secret that Zant wanted revenge for our people. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that the moment he was named ruler, he would declare an all out war on your realm. There was eve more to it. He was just power hungry. Not the type of person who should be expected to rule fairly.

"I was nothing… really. Zant and I were both distant parts of the royal family, and I suppose that I expected to be named ruler, though I was still surprised when it happened. Zant was jealous, so jealous, all he wanted to do was kill me, it was obvious. But he held his tongue and congratulated me, staying far away for the first week or so that I ruled. One day, I noticed he was following me around the courtyard, and when I turned around to see what he wanted, he struck me."

Midna's face screwed up into an ugly snarl. "At the same time, I was transformed into some… Some… This," she gestured to herself with great distaste. "I was ashamed of what I had become and I fled, but, as luck would happen, I found a Fused Shadow before I left. I took it with me just as I was sent out of my home, and I think you can guess the rest." She turned on Glenna, the snarl still on her face. "So, what now? Are you planning on mocking me?"

"No," answered Glenna with no heat. "I was going to make a remark about how sad that was and what a bastard Zant is, and how I'm even sorrier that I ever helped him." Midna made a noise of surprise, but Glenna continued, "That doesn't sound like any ordinary magic that Zant would know… It makes sense that he and Ganondorf are sharing power. Your form is a result of a curse, huh?" Midna could only nodded. "How familiar."

After a moment of silence, Midna spoke again. "Is that it?"

"I guess." And Midna slipped into Link's shadow once again.

More silence carried on until Link told Glenna to duck beneath the low ceiling. The cave seemed to be more like a path that carried on and on and on. Nervousness was beginning to set in as he wondered whether or not he had enough oil to last them. Instead of voicing his concerns, he said, "I never realized it."

"Realized what?" asked Glenna as she squeezed onto the path beside him.

"How similar you and Midna are." She began to choke, and he rolled his eyes. "Honestly. Aside from your nearly identical attitudes, you were both cursed and were both ashamed."

Glenna raised her index finger. "_That's _where you're wrong. I was never ashamed of what I had become, my family was."

"Then, why don't you tell anyone about it? Why were you stressing out about Renado knowing?"

"Because I'm not sure that I totally trust Renado with that type of information and, besides, how could I tell anyone? Remember how Rusl spoke of you back in Ordon? What do you think he and the others would think of me?" Her voice was becoming progressively dryer. "Even if I can remain human most of the time, they'll only ever think of me as a beast. They'll always be worried that I'll transform and eat their children."

He had no decent response to that and silence set back in. Afraid that he had offended her, he opened his mouth, but she spoke first, "Since I'm always the favorite subject of you and Midna, what about you, hm? What about your past, your parents? Anything?" Her voice was still dry, though it held an edge of interest.

Link realized he probably should have expected as much. "I really don't know anything about my parents. Before I was old enough to form a memory of them, they were gone. Rusl and Uli told me they're dead, and I tend to believe them. There's no reason not to. You know everything else about me, Glenna."

"Illia."

He started. "What?"

"I know she wasn't really fond of me before…" She hesitated, perhaps feeling badly speaking of a girl who had amnesia. "You've known her for your entire life."

"What's your point?" he heard an edge to his voice and was not sure how much he cared. _'What nerve she has…'_

A sigh hissed out of her lips as she pushed some hanging vines out of her way. The path seemed to be sloping downward, revealing a distant glow. "Do I really have to spell it out for you? Are the two of you…?"

"What?" His voice sounded more nervous than it did angry, and he mentally cursed. "Glenna, that's none- It doesn't matter. Can we just drop this?"

She raised her hands in surrender. "Sure, consider the subject dropp-" Her words turned into a scream, and Link froze in his tracks as she disappeared from his side.

Link lowered the lantern. The path had opened up into a small chamber with a great hole in the center. "Glenn, you alright?"

"I think I found the statue," she called up to him in a breathy voice. "Throw me the rod."

**XxX**

Following the excitement in the small cave at the lake, they relapsed into silence as they headed for the final statue. "Who would put an owl statue in a fishing pond?" wondered Link as they stepped through an oddly-placed door by the Zora's river. "What kind of fishing pond is this?"

The area was enclosed by a circle of cliffs and featured most prominently a decently-sized lake with small bridges. The only thing that could be found in the area, with the exception of hordes of cherry blossom trees and the pond was a small shack. Glenna carefully kept away from the building, as there was a hive hanging from it, while Link tried to get a closer look. The hive was silent, as it should have been considering it was sunset, and there was no light filtering through the windows.

Glenna shrugged a little as she stopped beneath one of the trees. She had not had much to say since they had left the cave. "Who would put an owl statue _anywhere_? I guess the Oocca wanted to keep the statues hidden so only those who really wanted to find them would? Something about loyalty, I don't know."

She heard a snarky voice mutter, in the back of her mind, "Isn't _that _the truth?"

"How do you know it's here?" questioned Link as he turned away from the shack and faced her, apparently unaware of Midna's input.

Glenna shook her hair a little, scattering the petals that had fallen into it and turned on her heel. "This is my second favorite place, I used to hang out here when I had free time." Clearing her throat, she sat down on the grass and lowered herself into the water. "Anyway, it's above the waterfall." Link elected not to ask how exactly she knew that as he joined her. He supposed the two of them had done enough prying.

As she swam ahead, Link shivered violently and treaded the water. "This is freezing," he said through chattering teeth. "How can you stand this?"

She only shrugged meekly and continued to swim. "All part of the job."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Midna materialize beside him, over the water. She gave a great yawn and stretched. "I'll just leave you two to this, I'm exhausted."

"Exhausted?" snorted Glenna. "Link and I have been doing all of the walking, running, climbing, falling… What do you have to be exhausted about?"

Midna gave her a devilish grin. "Your presence. Besides," she added in a more serious voice, "I haven't been resting all that much since the desert." Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Which I'm sure you would know much about, wouldn't you? We can go back to Kakariko Village in the morning."

"Are we really going to sleep _here_?" Link asked incredulously.

Both females' eyebrows shot up. "And you're not used to this, why? Better here where we're protected from monsters than anywhere else." Midna remarked before she drifted near the shack, curled up, and fell asleep.

Glenna climbed out onto the other side of the bank and shook her head a little. "That Midna can fall asleep anywhere, apparently, now that she can stand to be in the light." Gazing up at the cliff, the top of the waterfall, she remarked, "Does that look like the others?"

Link hurried himself as he stared, too. Sure enough, there seemed to be another owl statue, their last statue, oddly placed atop the cliff. "I thought the placement was strange before, now…"

"It's insane," agreed Glenna as she kicked a the cliff wall and grabbed at it. "But it looks like we can climb, come on." Aside from the soft quacking of the ducks and distant chirps of bird, the only sound they could truly hear was Midna's delicate snores and their own raggedy breathing.

Link took out the rod and waved away the statue while Glenna bent down to pick up the scrap of paper with the final words and tucked it away. "Finally, that's over with," she sighed, seemingly forgetting her resolve to keep her talk business-like. She slipped up farther by fixing him with a quick glance and devious grin as she stepped to the ledge of the cliff. "Glenna," he began with a warning and exhausted note in his voice. He wondered how much of her was doing this simply because of their tedious conversation back at Lake Hylia.

As he had guessed, she took his words as encouragement as she stepped off of the edge and plunged down into the water. Fortunately, it was deep enough that she did not crack or break anything as she submerged herself. She resurfaced quickly, shaking the hair out of his face, and raised her eyebrows. It was odd, he thought, that she did not even have to speak for him to know what she was saying. The look on her face was challenging him to do the same as her and, even to his own surprise, he did. He plunged off of the edge and narrowly avoided hitting his head on the way down. "Wasn't that fun?"

"Why does 'fun' for you mean 'dangerous' to everyone else?" She shrugged meekly as she floated on her back, her eyebrows drawn together. There was clearly something on her mind, but he did not press her. If it was more about him and Ilia - a conversation he definitely did not want to discuss with _her _of all people - then he probably did not want to know.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out so suddenly that he didn't immediately register what she had said.

"What?" His thoughts immediately returned to the cave where she had poked and prodded him with full knowledge that it would hurt him.

She cleared her throat. "I'm _sorry_. What I did to you and Midna, especially you, was wrong. It was…" She racked her brain for a better, more serious, word. "Despicable."

Link wouldn't have been more surprised if he was named mayor of Ordon than he was by the conversation. "Glenna-"

"No. I understand that what Avon did she did at her own discretion. She knew what she was doing. Even if she hadn't, Zelda would have been responsible for that, not Midna. For goddesses sake, Midna was just about dead, she couldn't have made anyone do _any_thing…" She shook her head, sending her straightening hair, as well as water, flying. "And I realize I should have never gone along with Zant, but I thought he meant it when he said he'd go after everyone…"

Link only raised his chin. "But he didn't. Not until the other day, at least."

"But would he have? I don't even know," she sighed. "I was weak, so weak, I never wanted to believe I could betray anyone the way my family did… What I did was worse than that, so much worse. You and Midna could have…" The words caught in her throat, and she shook her head again. "Zelda said I need to work on my trust issues. I think she's right. Even after what I did, or didn't do, back in Ordon, Rusl still seems to like me. Me, on the other hand-"

Finally, Link raised his hand, effectively cutting her off. "Stop. Please. No more self-pity." She raised her body and treaded the water, fixing him with a stare that was hard to read. "I never truly believed that you were Zant's new… helper, or whatever. I never wanted to believe it."

She could tell perfectly well what he was not saying. "Why? It wasn't so hard for Midna."

"That's… different. Midna is different. Midna is our ally and friend, but let's forget about her for a second. Why do you have to focus on the negative?"

Her eyebrows raised again. "Because of what you just said: Midna is my ally… and friend, I guess. That matters."

"What about what I think?"

She felt her heart miss a beat just for a moment and, caught off guard, she stuttered, "W-what do you mean?"

"Isn't what I think important?"

"Of course. You might even say it's _most _important, but-"

All of his agitation and anger toward her the past few days faded. "So focus on that." The water splashed a little as he moved closer to her, and she did not, for the first time in a while, move away from him. They were so close that she could see the dark rim around his irises, see how tan he was from herding, and see the way the water clung to his surprisingly thick eyelashes.

When she realized she was staring at him, she averted her eyes and felt her cheeks change their color. "Link?"

"Hm?" He still had not moved away.

"Thanks for saving my life all those times we were apart." She had expected him to wave off her words or come up with some meek response, but he did not. Instead, he reached out and took her face into his hands. Her heartbeat quickened, beating so quickly against her ribcage that she was sure he could hear it, but she did not move away. Taking this as encouragement, he brought his face closer to hers, and she resisted the urge to push his plastered bangs away from his forehead.

As he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, she thought that she heard Midna's snores come to a sudden halt, but it was difficult to tell with all of the blood pounding in her ears. Finally she reached up and tangled her hands in his hair, which is when it hit her: maybe, all along, Link had been feeling the same way as her after all.

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**A/n: The last scene has been planned for quite some time. Just so you all know, I am fully ready to take opinions on pairings, and, given my trouble with this story, I'm also more than happy to hear what you'd like to see. Of course, there's no guarantee that you'll get what you want, I'd just like to hear from my readers. :D**


	30. The Girl and the Dragon

**Chapter Thirty:**

The girl and the dragon

**A/n: I was so afraid that my extended break would have left me without readers, but it seems I worried for no reason. Thank you Dark Flame and LMNHYLIAN for your reviews, as always. -heart- Also, LMNHYLIAN did some fanart for me, the link to which I have posted on my profile. Oh, and welcome to my new readers, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Zelda. All I own are the unique points to this plot and my OC's. **

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Link was the first to wake up the next morning, which surprised him, considering how long Midna had been sleeping. He rolled onto his side and looked near the shack, where the imp was still curled up. Recalling her conversation with Glenna the previous day, he tried to imagine her appearing as a totally different being, but he could only see her in her imp form. _'I wonder what she looked like,' _he thought to himself as he rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky, which was beginning to lighten up. _'I bet she was beautiful.' _

His hand moved of its own accord and traced his lips. After what he had done yesterday, how could he entertain thoughts of Midna in that way? Not that it was the first time he had ever such thoughts, but it seemed significantly wrong now. He turned his head in the direction opposite of Midna and found Glenna still sleeping beside him. Her face looked peaceful, but the angry bruises were accentuated by the paleness of her skin.

A creaking sound alerted him to a new presence, and he jumped up and unsheathed his sword in one fluid movement. Though, a sensible voice in the back of his mind reminded him that they were almost perfectly safe in the location, he thought it was better to be prepared than not.

His victim turned out to be a girl about his age in what could only be called a fishing outfit. She wore a pair of rubber boots, overalls, and a long sleeve shirt complete with a fishing hat. Instead of appearing fearful, she looked annoyed. "What do you think you're doing in my fishing hole, armed like that?" Her eyes, a hardened blue, flickered over to Glenna's slumbering form, and her eyebrows just about shot up her forehead. Without saying another word to Link, who was watching her with a sort of weariness, she walked over to Glenna and gently kicked her with the toe of her boot.

Glenna started immediately, and it was almost entertaining. Her grogginess showed as she tried to pat herself down and find her sword, which was on the ground beside her. "Glenna," said the girl as she stood over her with her hands on her hips.

Glenna rubbed her eyes once, twice, as the other girl fixed her brown hair into braids. "Hena," she mumbled in a scratchy voice. "Oh, shit, Hena!" She bolted upright, took one look at Link and the Master Sword, and blurted out, "Oh, no. I'm sorry, Link's just a little anxious-"

"You're telling me," grunted Hena.

The pond echoed with the sound of Link's sword sliding back into its scabbard as he joined them with a sheepish smile. "You know each other?"

"Know each other?" snorted Hena. "This girl hangs around and rarely even bothers to fish! And there are times, like today, where she falls asleep here!" Though she kept her tone chastising, it was clear by her face that she was no longer angry. Her eyebrows suddenly raised. "But… what exactly were you doing with him here? You were awfully close."

Glenna had the decency to blush as she mumbled something incoherent while Link pretended like the ground was the most interesting thing in Hyrule. "Hena, don't…" Whatever response she had died in her throat. "Anyway, I'm sorry. Actually, we were just checking something out, but we could probably go now. Link?"

Link looked, briefly, over his shoulder but Midna was no longer curled up on the ground. _'Worried?' _he heard her voice echo in his mind as they quickly set out of the fishing hole. Midna appeared once they were beside the river and transported them directly outside of Kakariko so that they would not risk being seen by one of the others.

As they walked into the village, Glenna stretched her arms over her head. Oddly enough, she had slept much better last night, on the ground, than she had in the bed at the Inn. No one commented on last night or the encounter with Hena which was probably a good thing, but, still, she could not stop herself from glancing in Link's direction every so often as they headed for Renado's shack.

Though it was quiet enough, there seemed to be a flurry of activity going on. There were still a few extra horses by Malo's shop, and all of the Ordon children were moving around. Link noted that Ilia was not outside, but she rarely was, a direct opposite of how she had been back at home. It seemed her amnesia had changed a lot about her. "Hey, fellow adventurers!" Link and Glenna froze in their tracks, unable to believe their ears, and exchanged a questioning glance, _'Ooccoo?' _

When they turned and looked at the dirt path, they, sure enough, found Oocca running along with her son flittering behind her. Link crouched down while Glenna doubled over and rested her arm on his back. "Ooccoo? What on earth are you _doing _here?" wondered Link as the Oocca stopped before them.

Ooccoo seemed a little out of breath. "I… I had heard that there was a strange statue and something linking to my people here in the Sanctuary," she explained, "so we came to investigate."

"We were just about to check it out ourselves, you can come along if you'd like," replied Glenna easily.

Ooccoo took a few steps closer to Link but stopped abruptly. "Huuum. Do you hear that?"

Link's eyebrows knitted together. "Hear… what?"

Glenna's hand, which had been flat on his back, curled into a fist. There was a somewhat distant sound, almost like the flapping of wings… _'A Kargaroc?' _

'_Don't you recognize that sound at all?' _hissed Midna in her mind and, maybe, Link's too. The twili's words resonated with her just a little. She did recognize it a little, but she could not figure out why.

The flapping sound was becoming increasingly louder, and from the other side of the village, they heard Talo shout, "Monster! Everybody hide!"

Instead of running toward the Inn, Colin started in their direction, stopping a few feet away. "Link! Glenna!"

Glenna turned on her heel and sucked in a breath as an enormous shadow fell over her. Though the creature was nowhere near as large as Volvagia, it was still beastly in its stature. It had leathery red wings with black spikes, lethal-looking talons, and black armor that shielded the majority of its body.

It was also heading right toward them, a point that Colin was trying to get across as he screamed their names again. Glenna straightened immediately and slid her sword out of its scabbard as she started toward the dragon while Link attempted to gain his bearings. Colin was much too close, and she turned her head to see if Link would usher him away. _'Pay attention!' _snapped Midna, but her words fell on dead ears.

Link had just about reached Colin, but his words could not be heard over the deafening flapping of the dragon's wings. Colin was still staring straight ahead, pointing, as he shook his head. "Glenna, look out!" warned Link as he craned his head a bit, and she finally paid attention to her surroundings.

The dragon held out its talons as if it either meant to pick her up or rip her to pieces. Regardless of which, neither seemed like a particularly good option, and she swung her sword at it as if it were an annoying insect. The creature screeched, avoiding the blade with ease, and knocked her flat onto her back. Link surveyed the area very briefly, noted everyone else had taken cover, and ordered, "Get inside, Colin!" Without making sure the boy was taking his order, Link wheeled around with the Master Sword raised.

The talons were still held out before the dragon, but it seemed to almost be surveying Link. It set at Link at a dead pace and snatched him up by the shoulders. "Let go!" he protested, waving the sword around uselessly. The claws cut past his tunic and sank into his skin.

Apparently satisfied, the dragon began to ascend into the sky, its long black tail sailing behind it. Surprised as she was when Midna told her to jump onto the tail - though, admittedly, Glenna had been thinking it herself - her body automatically moved forward and her feet left the ground as she leapt into the air and hooked her body around the tail.

Colin was yelling from his spot outside of the Inn, but his voice was fading quickly as the dragon's roars and the wind whipped through their ears. _'Oh, God,' _thought Glenna as she clung a little tighter to the dragon, _'I'm going to be sick. I'm going to faint and fall.' _

Pushing past her ill feelings, Glenna called, "Link, are you okay?" When she received no response, she climbed a little higher to get a better view of him. Her breath caught up until she realized his chest was still raising and lowering. _'The elevation, he must have passed out.' _

She scanned her surroundings and had to remind herself not to faint. They were already quite high in the sky; she could barely make out the specific landmarks of Hyrule. _'Where is this thing taking us?' _she wondered, her ears popping.

Glenna forced herself to remain conscious enough to keep a firm grip on the tail, but the pain and nausea gripping her were horrendous. After what seemed like hours, the dragon finally stopped ascending, and her grip finally loosened without her much noticing. _'It might just be nice to sleep.'_

"Blondie! Don't you pass out on me!" It was difficult to tell whether Midna was speaking out loud or in her head with all of the buzzing in Glenna's ears. She heard the twili yell again, but her voice was growing distant fast as everything began to fade around her.

Then, it all became extremely clear and cold. Glenna gasped at the feeling of ice in her lungs and opened her eyes. Suddenly, inexplicably, she was underwater. _'What in all of Hyrule?' _

Flailing her legs, she pushed herself to the surface as fast as she could, and, again, had to fight the urge to give in and pass out. Without a doubt, she was no longer in Hyrule. Even worse, the dragon - and with it, Link - was gone.

She opened her mouth and closed it before starting out of the pool. A few paths seemed to branch away from the pool, one leading into a strange-looking city, and another to a small building.

However, she was more concerned with what was laying on the path. A few familiar objects seemed to have dropped onto it, among them the Clawshot, a couple of bottles with potions, and the iron boots. Glenna dropped to her knees as she picked up the clawshot. "Oh, no…"

"It looks like that horrible beast got Link," came a voice from somewhere below her, making her jump. Ooccoo and Junior were somehow standing beside her. "Oh, I didn't mean to startle you! This is my home, the place I have been searching for all this time! And, oh, it looks so unfortunate… That dragon must have made its nest here, I hope the others are alright…"

Glenna allowed herself to be distracted for just a moment as her eyebrows knitted together. "The… 'others'…?"

"Oh, yes! You didn't think I was the only one of my kind, did you?" Glenna tried not to show her shock that there were more bizarre-looking creatures than the two next to her. "We'd better go check the shop! It would be a safe place for anyone, and you can regroup there!"

"Y-yeah…" Glenna watched as the Oocca ran toward the small building. "Midna?" She nearly jumped out of her skin when the twili materialized beside her. "No way. You're with _me _and not Link?"

"The feeling's mutual, Blondie," snorted Midna. "Hurry up and get into that shop."

Once Glenna lifted up the door, she found herself in a building that did not look much different than a regular shop. Aside from, of course, the strange-looking bird creatures running around. She moved past the birds to the counter where she found Ooccoo and her son speaking with another Oocca, presumably the keeper of shop. "My goodness, there are still others in the city! With that beast?" After shooting Glenna a quick glance, the Oocca chattered to Ooccoo in a strange language. "Not good, not good at all…"

"What's going on?" questioned Glenna as she glanced around the room. Ooccoo had been unsettling the first time she had laid eyes on her, and being in a room full of the creatures put her a little ill at ease. Besides, she had to find Link and fast.

"It seems that dragon just appeared one day and started to wreck the city! It hasn't bothered my people too much, but I worry… Fellow adventurer, your ally is with the dragon, no? Or, maybe, he was dropped somewhere in the city… I can help you get around!"

Glenna shrugged a little. At this point, it only seemed natural to have the Oocca with her. "Sure, alright. Let's go."

"Oh, dear… You can't just go around like you are now. The winds don't really affect an Oocca, but a Hylian… You're so light, you'll just be blown away!"

Glenna had seen this coming. Sighing, she seated herself on the counter and tugged on the metallic boots. When she dropped onto the floor, she fell onto all fours. "Goddesses, these things are heavy. How does Link even walk around in these?" She straightened up and attempted to take a step, nearly falling over in the process.

Ooccoo nodded her head with approval. "Perfect! I'll give you instructions on where to go…" With that, she jumped into her pouch, and Glenna slowly lugged herself back outside.

"What's the plan?" she said to no one in particular as she dragged her feet toward the only other building there was.

"We search the city for Link and the mirror shard, though I'm sure that dragon can help us with the latter," remarked Midna as she popped out of her shadow in enough time to disappear again.

Glenna chose not to wonder why Midna, who could now exist in the light thanks to Avon, did not remain out of the shadows. Habit, she guessed. Not that she really wanted a lot of one on one time with the twili. The City in the Sky must have looked like a City to its denizens, but to Glenna it just looked like a series of obstacles. Though it was generally not too difficult to jump over the gigantic gaps in the floor, she eventaully came to a room that appeared to have no exit at all, and Ooccoo seemed to have no answers for her.

Stamping her foot in aggravation, Glenna complained to Midna, "I have no idea how to get out of here, and Ooccoo isn't being any help.."

Midna floated out of her shadow and nodded once. "Got it." She hit a switch and the fan directly beneath Glenna blew a sudden gust of wind that sent her flying into a higher room while she screamed, "MIDNA!"

This room's main purpose seemed to be to kill anyone who stepped inside. Once Glenna fell, painfully, to the floor, two Helmasaurs charged at her, and she barely evaded them by stepping through a nearby door.

Not that she found any relief. She had almost the same exact problem in the next room, and ran across the length of the room to get away from another Helmsaur, just so that she could get enough space between them to attack. Halfway through her run, she fell, nearly slicing her arm on a fan blade in the process, and hit the tiled floor with a force that should have broken her bones. _'That's going to hurt tomorrow.'_

The room was spacious with four different windows, and a shriek filled her ears as she stepped inside. What looked like a Lizalsfos wielding a sword and shield was sitting in one of the windows, but it took into the air as soon as she stepped inside. _'An Aeralfos? I thought those were just myths…' _

"Look at the shield, Blondie," yawned Midna, who, Glenna noticed, was lounging on another one of the windows.

Glenna redirected her attention to the shield and glanced down at the Clawshot. Without another word, she shot it at the shield, and was only a little surprised when the Aeralfos gave a little cry as she pulled it forward. "Works for me!" She bashed it over the head with her sword, and, when it tried to get away, she hit it with her shield and finished it off. Once it was gone, nothing new opened up.

Raising her eyebrows and mentally preparing herself for the shock to her system, Glenna aimed at some vines hanging down from the alcove and fought back a scream as she soared through the air and rolled into the opening. Hoping to find something particularly exciting - because, surely, the Oocca had to have some sort of cool treasure in their city, - she threw open the chest and pulled out… Another Clawshot. Saying nothing at all as she searched for a way out of the room while she inwardly seethed, she almost barely picked up Midna's words.

"Glenna."

To show she was listening as she gazed around the room, she nodded. There were the windows that the creature had used as entrances, but she doubted it would lead to anything other than her death or injury. "I'm sorry. Kind of. I guess," continued the twili in a very Midna fashion.

She dropped her gaze down to the lower floor where Midna was still hovering. "You are? About?"

"You know, being so harsh to you and all that." Seeing no secret exit in the alcove, she jumped down to where the twili was. "It might have been a bit excessive."

"Just a bit?" asked Glenna, though she was smiling.

Midna was studying her. She was no longer looking at her, but she could tell by the feeling that someone's eyes were burning holes into her back. "I love him, you know." Glenna stopped scanning the ceiling for an exit though, at this point, she was sure she had found one. She kept her eyes trained on the ornate architecture, as if it were the most important thing in the world. "It's been happening for a while. That puts us at opposite ends, doesn't it?"

She wished she knew why Midna would tell her such a thing. Did she want to see her squirm? She knew the Twili knew what had happened between her and Link… Did se want her to feel… guilty, somehow?

Glenna thought about when she had first met Midna. At first, the princess had a mutual dislike for both Glenna and Link then, over time, she seemed fond of Link and more annoyed by Glenna than not. She had never really questioned the change, but now it made sense. "I see."

Though, if she was being completely honest with herself, she could admit that she had seen it. All that time Midna and Link had spent alone together, of course… But did that really, at this point, make the two of them enemies? Love was something Glenna had dreamed about as a little girl, but now it seemed so much less important than the things set before her.

Besides, she could still recall Ganondorf telling her that she did not fit into the puzzle in more ways than one. "Are we really, though?" Midna's breath caught, and she stared at her as if she could not believe her words. Glenna could not say she blamed her; her favorite past time had been arguing with Midna for much of the journey. "We both want to get rid of Zant and Ganondorf. I think that we're more allies than anything else."

A slow smile stretched across the twili's face, but it was not frightening or bitter like her usual ones. In fact, it seemed genuine. "You're right. To get out of here, you probably want to go back through the fan." She gestured upwards.

Glenna nodded, relieved that she and Midna were on the same wavelength again despite the obvious elephant in the room. She took a few steps forward to close the distance between herself and the fan, and the ground abruptly disappeared beneath her. Almost sure that Midna had done something, she looked to find the twili with her hands thrown into a surrender gesture. Another one of the armored lizafols was giggling, having touched a switch on the wall that, apparently, opened up the ground.

She plunged downward, but her fall was cut short as she hit something else. There was a brief caw followed by the flapping of wings before Glenna realized she had somehow managed to land on a Kargaroc. _'Lucky, lucky.' _

In the next moment, Midna was sitting before her, wrestling the Kargaroc as it cawed and struggled. "Knock it off and do what I say!" She hit it upside the head, and Glenna was reminded of the moment the twili had done the same thing back in Lanayru. Like the Shadow Kargaroc, it obeyed without further struggle. "Perfect, now we can use this to get up to the dragon's roost. That should cut our time in half. Take the reigns."

Glenna nodded and kicked at the creature as she reached over Midna and steered it upward. The dragon was not difficult to find at all. In fact, since it had first dropped her, she'd been able to see it from every spot in the city.

**XxX**

Glenna's chest was heaving and her sides felt like she had been stabbed, and she all but collapsed on the grassy platform. The Kargaroc, despite its obvious fear, did not take well to being ordered around. Once they were close to the roost of Argorok, the Kargaroc made an abrupt beeline, effectively forcing Midna and Glenna off and to the bottom of the tower, so they had to scale the entire thing. _'Finally made it, but still no sign of-'_

"Blondie, look!" Her head snapped up at Midna's words, and she forced herself to her feet. A crumpled form appeared to be lying in the center with clothes as green as the surrounding grass. Forgetting her fatigue as she and Midna surged forward, she dropped herself beside Link's unmoving form. "Link!"

Glenna turned him over and patted him on the face, but he did not stir. "He's still breathing," she noted in an airy, breathy voice. "But he won't wake up… Ooccoo!" The Oocca materialized from her pocket, and stared at her with unblinking eyes. "Couldn't you take Link back to the shop?" There was a roar but, at least for the moment, it sounded distant.

"Oh, but, adventurer… You wouldn't be able to get back!"

Midna and Glenna exchanged a brief smile. "Don't worry about that, just get Link to safety, alright?"

"Oh, alright, if you're sure…" And the Oocca disappeared with Link just as Argorok came onto the scene.

Glenna straightened up and the dragon roared with clear displeasure at losing its… toy? Meal? "It's tail," she heard Midna say whether aloud in her hand, she did not know.

Glenna's arm moved automatically, and the Clawshot sent her flying toward the dragon. She hung on, but nothing happened aside from the dragon flapping its wings faster.

Recalling that Link had used the boots as extra weight, she clumsily used her free hand to try and put them on, but it was a feat that she could not accomplish. Midna appeared before her, surprising her just a little. "I'll help you," remarked the imp as she floated higher into the sky and summoned an energy ball. "Just hold on."

Glenna did as she was told. The impact from Midna's attack was enough to knock the dragon and herself out of the sky, and Argorok collapsed with enough force that most of his black armor shattered.

The impact would have been enough to knock anyone on the same level right off, so it was more than fortunate that she had hooked onto one of the pillars. Huffing and shrieking, the dragon soared into the sky, and the clouds, which had been getting steadily darker, became purple as a storm set in. Visibility became zero as rain sloshed and lightning and thunder filled the sky.

A light engulfed Argorok as the rest of the armor shattered; Glenna and Midna turned their faces as the shards flew through the air and pierced their skin. At the same time, a bunch of Peahats lifted out of seemingly nowhere and set into the sky. Argorok flew in front of Glenna with his glinting white teeth showing as his mouth slowly began to open.

"Glenna, move before he burns you to a crisp!" shouted Midna, her voice sounding far away beneath the vicious winds. Again, her arm moved automatically as she shot like a bullet toward a Peahat, then a few more as the dragon followed her; it was like a sick game of tag, or hide and go seek. She could feel the source of the dragon's evil power emitting from... the area right on his neck.

She noticed Midna, who could clearly read her thoughts, nodding furiously in her peripheral vision. She aimed the Clawshot at his neck and pulled out her sword. Argorok shook violently until... the Clawshot came loose and she was whisked away from the top of the tower.

Before she had the opportunity to scream, something sharp pierced into her arms and, she realized with shock, the dragon had caught her. It spiraled downward, and she attempted to keep track of its route which only succeeded in making her feel dizzy, and, before she knew it, she hit the ground with such a force that she was sure her neck would snap. Glenna rolled over as the rain pelted her face and realized, with shock, that she was back up on the grassy plain.

Even more shocking was the fact that Argorok was hurling toward her.

She rolled over, the sound of rock crumbling right in her ear, and pushed her body away from the ground. He had only just missed her and was now in the process of disentangling his talons from the rock. Though it was not the opening she had expected, Glenna moved in and began to stab the hell out of the weak spot on the back of his neck.

With a cry, Argorok circled around and pushed her away with a large, feathery wing before returning to the sky. To stop a repeat of the last time, she quickly threw on the iron boots and used the Clawshots to climb up one of the grated pillars and reach a Peahat. The sound of flapping in her ears alerted her to the fact that Argorok had yet to give up.

Not that she wanted him too; she needed the mirror shard still.

"Better, Blondie, much better," she could hear Midna compliment over the roaring of wind, wings and the dragon.

The rain stung the side of her face as she swung from Peahat to Peahat. _'If I could shoot this thing with a bow, that would make things much easier…' _

She started as Argorok suddenly swung its head in her direction, and she automatically released the Clawshot as the fire burned into her skin. Halfway through her fall (made even faster by the iron boots and threatening to shatter all of the bones in her legs), she recovered from the shock enough to shoot to the top of a pillar and examine her wounds. Thanks in part to the tunic, the damage was not quite as bad as it could have been, but it was still difficult to ignore the blotchy, red spots that, she was sure, would give her much grief later in the day.

'_Thank the Goddesses for Renado.' _

Argorok had, somehow, managed to lose sight of her and was now looking around anxiously, hovering up and down, with its back facing her. _'An even better opening than I could have hoped for!' _The Clawshot made home in its back and, once she released it and stradled the dragon's back, she drove her sword into it as many times as she could.

Its wings seemed to be failing it, suddenly folding in on itself, and the two of them began to descend toward the ground, which was even better than she could have hoped for. Just when she thought Argorok was about to collapse, its wings abruptly came to life and the two of them dove toward the City in the Sky. Glenna stabbed it harder and harder, but it only seemed to make the dragon more determined to sink lower. "I think he's trying to take me with him!" she called up to Midna, who was trailing a little ways behind.

Argorok's wing clipped part of the city and sent a chunk of it hurling toward, Glenna guessed, Hyrule. His strength seemed to be failing him, and it was becoming obvious that he would not last much longer. "Jump!"

Glenna whipped her head around so quickly that her neck cracked. "What?"

"Jump off before he brings you down with him!"

"It's a little too late for that, don't you think?" She knew what Midna meant, though. If she waited, then Argorok might just start falling toward Hyrule, a fall that Glenna was sure even she would not survive. With the boots still on, she sheathed her sword, stood, and jumped.

Though she had not been considering where she might land, Glenna was relieved when she plunged into the pool near the Oocca shop. Argorok only got a little farther, colliding with the path that branched off to nowhere and sliding right off the end.

Fortunately, the mirror shard separated from the dragon's body as it fell and hovered neatly above the path. With a sigh of relief, Midna grabbed the final piece and hovered over the pool as Link, who appeared to have been waiting for them, joined her. She looked him up and down with an approving nod. "You look much better," she said conversationally.

"You fought that dragon without me!"

"Technically, _Glenna _fought the dragon without you, but, yes," she agreed with an impatient nod before returning her gaze to the water. "Speaking of… Do you think she's clever enough to realize she needs to take off those boots to get to the surface?"

Her answer came in the form of Glenna breaking through the surface and whipping her wet hair out of her face. "Thank the Goddesses for that pool, I would have broken both of my legs for sure, and even Zelda couldn't have fixed that…" She grabbed Link's hand with both of hers, and he hoisted her out of the water as the sun broke through the storm clouds, and the three of them looked at one another.

A slow grin spread across Link's face. "Finally, we can get back at Zant for what he's done."

* * *

**A/n: My apologies for making the City of the Sky so short (though this chapter wasn't); I just couldn't think of anything to do with it (and it's normal version isn't very ff friendly), and I wanted to get a chapter up before you guys thought I forgot. ;_; Until the next chapter!**


	31. The Statue

**Chapter Thirty-One:**  
The Statue

**A/n: Just started school up again, and between that and work, it looks like I'll have very little free time. I promise to write and update as quickly as I can! You reviews are going to be particularly important today, you'll see why at the end of the chapter.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Zelda.**

* * *

"Thanks so much for your assistance, fellow adventurers! Junior and I have been waiting a long time to return home." Link and Glenna were standing before Ooccoo and Junior, who were standing in front of the shop.

Glenna nodded her head, sending her drying, curling hair flouncing around. "Of course, Ooccoo. I saw more of the others while we were wandering around the city, and I'd say you're all pretty safe now."

"Are you staying here?" wondered Link.

Ooccoo nodded. "Oh, yes! A little adventure was nice, but it's always so much nicer at home, don't you think?"

Link managed a weak smile. "I agree with you completely." Glenna tilted her head to the side a little as she gave the idea some thought. She supposed she did miss just going out for the day for Zelda and returning to bar at night and sleeping in her nice, warm bed… She missed being around Telma and Zelda, but, at the same time…

Realizing she had missed the end of the conversation by dwelling in her thoughts, she was half surprised when Link dragged her off and managed only a weak wave to the Oocca. "Ouch," she winced as she tugged her arm out of his grip. "Someone had to fight a dragon, didn't they?"

"I can't believe you too…" mumbled Link as he shook his head. "Princess Zelda should be able to fix you up."

A smile upturned the corners of her lips. "Her favorite past time. So, where are we going exactly? Getting her was… relatively simple. How do we get down? Jump?"

"Funny, but no. That is how we're getting back." Link stopped walking, and Glenna looked at the obtuse structure they had stopped before. It was rusty, large, and looked like something that would give one an upper hand during a war…

Glenna's eyebrows shot up. "Is this… a cannon?" Link nodded. "And it's going to shoot us down, possibly to our deaths?"

"Ooccoo wasn't completely clear on where it would take us except Hyrule, but she said a Clawshot would do the trick." Link looked at her, expectantly, and chuckled as she handed him his precious items. "Two of them, huh. You still don't like them."

Glenna snorted. "I don't exactly enjoy the sensation of being ripped through the air, if that's what you mean."

Link aimed the Clawshot at the inside of the cannon, which looked much too tiny, and said, "You'd better hold on." A little gingerly, she wrapped her arms around his chest and, remembering her conversation with Midna, could not fight off the feeling of guilt. Her window of opportunity to feel guilt was small as she and Link were wrenched inside the canon which, after a moment of righting itself, spat them back down toward Hyrule.

At some point during the long freefall, Glenna took satisfaction in the fact that she wasn't the only one screaming. "If that cannon was aimed toward dry land…"

"…You can't kill the Oocca, they're all the way back in the City in the Sky," reminded Link, half-laughing. She could not possibly fathom how he could laugh in such a situation. "Besides, look."

Look? That was the exact thing she had been avoiding the entire time. Half-heartedly, she removed her face from his chest to see the area they were about to spiral into. Lake Hylia stretched before them like a mother with her arms wide upon. Glenna released a breath she had not known she was holding. "Thank Din, Nayru and Farore."

Link grinned. "You won't be saying that in a-" They fell through the water, effectively ending his sentence as they separated.

Glenna might have relished in the feel if the water didn't remind her that she had just fought a dragon. When she broke to the surface, she found Link had beat her to the punch, and Midna was hovering over the water, her eyes glowing in the darkness. She smiled at Link, then, briefly, at Glenna. "Well, we've finally done it. The Mirror of Twilight is complete."

"It was, oddly enough, a team effort, too," noted Glenna with a faint smile. "So, what next? Twilight Realm?"

Midna considered this for a moment as she looked around, then shook her head. "We should get ready, we can leave tomorrow." Without another word, their bodies dissolved into Twilight fragments and, next they knew, they were walking into Kakariko Village.

Glenna nearly shot out of her skin at the sight of a cloaked person sitting by the spring. The person laughed, shortly, and, were she a wolf, Link was sure her fur would bristle. With a stride that made it seem her exhaustion was forgotten, she strode up to Zelda with her hands on her hip. "Ganondorf is out there, _somewhere_, and yet here you are, sitting outside with-"

With a deft movement, Zelda stood and revealed her golden bow, and Glenna sputtered uselessly. Fighting back a laugh, Link asked, "How did you know?"

Zelda only held up her hand in response. The golden light of the Triforce of Wisdom pierced through the darkness. Link glanced down and found that his was glowing, too. "So! The two of you just up and disappeared. Shad seemed disappointed, did you find all of those statues?"

"Yeah, but before we could show him what we found, we were kidnapped by a dragon. Turned out to be good, actually, since we found the last Twilight Shard, but I can't help but wonder what's behind that statue," Glenna added in afterthought.

"I… fell unconscious at some point. I'm not completely sure what happened, but I woke up a few times on top of a tall tower. I don't remember much of anything."

Glenna nodded. "Which is where I come in." She explained what had happened to the both of them, leaving out her little moments with Midna. Zelda was a great listener, as always. She nodded intently, managed a few gasps, and never made any comments until the end.

After the fact, Zelda turned toward Link, her face filled with shock. "Oh, Link, I had almost forgotten. Renado wished to speak with you about Ilia's memory."

"Really?" Link all but rose up from the table. "Is it…" He felt a little naïve and weak for asking the ruler of Hyrule this, but he did nonetheless, "…Good news?"

She flashed a dazzling, warm smile at him that qualmed his fears immediately. "I'm sure it is. He might still be awake, might you…?"

Before she could even finish her thought, he was bidding them goodbye and setting out of the Inn. Midna, who had been mysteriously absent for the entire conversation, chose that moment to appear and sit on the back of Link's chair. "You have the final mirror shard now. Is this new development… problematic?" Zelda seemed only curious, and Midna must have sensed this as well, as she did not snap.

To the surprise of neither hylian, Midna shook her head. "Not really. If there's a way to help Ilia's memory, I know that Link will want to get that done first. I suppose Blondie and I could on ahead, and…"

"…Given both of our past experiences with fighting Zant one-on-one, do you really think we'll be much better together?" asked Glenna with an eyebrow raised.

"Eee hee hee! Where's the faith, hm?"

**XxX**

To Link's great shock, Renado was, indeed, awake. In fact, he seemed to be pacing around the statue in the Sanctuary. At the intrusion, the shaman looked up and started. "Ah, Link, how glorious it is to see you though, I must admit, it is quite late…"

"I know, I'm sorry, I only just go back and heard…"

Renado raised a hand and shook his head. "No, no. No need to be sorry. Now, then, sit, sit," he gestured for Link to sit on the stairs, though he continued to stand. "It has become evident, as of late, that the first place Ilia appeared afte rbeing kidnapped was not Castle Town. When Shad began to speak of the 'sky writing' and the heavenly beings, Ilia seemed to remember something, someone speaking of a 'rod of the heavens.' Now, I've spoken with the Goron older, Gor Coron, and the patriarch, Darbus. They have come to the conclusion that we must piece together the fragments of Ilia's memory in order to regain the whole picture. Therefore, we must work our way backwards. Perhaps we could be lucky enough to locate a trigger object that can assist us in restoring her memory."

Link nodded. It all sounded very sensible, but where was he to find an object that would jog Ilia's memory? Epona should have, in theory, helped Ilia, but she did not. "A trigger object, huh?"

"Do not fret, Link. Telma will, without a doubt, be of great help to you, as Ilia was under her care for quite some time. I imagine she is currently asleep, so you may want to wait until morning to press her."

Again, Link nodded, but much more thoughtfully and slowly. "Alright, yeah… Thank you so much, Renado."

"If you find anything more, I will help you any way I can." Once Link stepped outside, he heard the doors lock behind him and wondered if Zelda had hinted even the smallest detail of the danger they were all in.

He found Midna, Zelda and Glenna still sitting at the bar when he returned to the Inn and told them what Renado had said. Glenna rose from her seat and cracked her knuckles. "Wait until morning? Ha! Something this important - and for Ilia, no less - Telma will be more than happy to help. Come on."

Link did not get the opportunity to say that it could wait or remind her that she was hurt as, with full determination, Glenna marched up the stairs and stepped into the room she knew belonged to Telma. Link looked, a little helplessly, to Zelda. "I'm sure you've come to realize that, when Glenna gets a thought in her head, there's no stopping her?" remarked the princess in a perfectly calm voice.

Telma could be a ridiculously difficult person to awaken. She also snored sometimes, which, at the moment, was making the process grueling. After a few good shakes and calling her name, the woman finally began to stir. "Glenna? Glenna!" She sprang into a sitting position, and it was only thanks to Glenna's wolf reflexes that she jumped back in time to avoid a collision. "Honey, what are you _doing _here at this hour?" She glanced around the room just to make sure that she was accurate about the timing. "Is everything alright? I haven't seen you for days, and all of a sudden you're springing into my room at thise late hour! What's wrong?"

As Glenna slowly lowered herself onto the foot of the bed, she felt almost like a child again. Telma had never been a coddler, though she had been motherly, much more motherly than her birth mother. When she was frightened, at first, of her new surroundings or had nightmares, she would just come into Telma's room and sit in her bed as she told her a story. Or, if she cried out, Telma would sit on the edge of her bed until she fell asleep. A smile quirked at the corners of her lips.

"Oh, honey, you look a mess. What have you-?" Telma broke off and shook her head as she smiled tiredly. "I guess I know better than to ask you that question. You and that Link are on an adventure, aren't you? You're going to save Hyrule."

"I love your confidence," laughed Glenna.

"Mm, well, you are a strong girl. And, even if you weren't, you have a strong man to take care of you." She winked and grinned with satisfaction at the blush she could somehow make out in the darkness.

Realizing she was getting off topic (and more than happy to redirect the conversation), she began, "About why I'm bothering you so late… Everything's fine. Sort of." A flash of concern disturbed Telma's features, so she quickly added, "No, no, don't worry! It's about Ilia, actually. Her memory. Renado said that we need to find something that will trigger Ilia's memories. Did she have anything when you first found her?"

Telma's forehead puckered in concentration as she thought. "No, no I don't think so but… She didn't show up on my doorstep first."

"What…?"

"She collapsed inside of Castle Town and was brought to Doctor Borville. I didn't meet her 'til after the fact, when she found the Zora boy and asked me to help her with him."

Glenna nodded slowly. "So, the doctor would be the best place to start, huh?"

As she stood, a bemused look passed over Telma's tired face. "Honey, you wouldn't be planning on paying that good ol' doctor at this hour, would you?"

"Telma, you've raised me to be much more polite than that. Goodnight," she added as she set out of the room.

The princesses and Link looked up as she rejoined them and, with a single glance, she said, "Let's go to Castle Town. Zelda…"

"Everyone will be safe here with me," she promised, "not that you need that guarantee."

"It's late, and aren't you exhausted?" asked Link, though he followed her outside nonetheless.

Glenna merely shrugged. "It's important to you, Ilia's memory. You're still a really nice guy, and the doctor is a quack so I don't feel totally bad about scaring him a little."

"Scaring him?" echoed Link, his voice full of dread.

"There will be time for everything else later," decided Glenna with a look toward Midna. "Right?"

"Sure. Just don't do anything that'll get you thrown in prison. Not that, really, there _is _a prison at the moment." Midna was probably right; it was doubtful that the guards had enough dedication to their jobs to actually set up an area as a jail of any type. "Let's go, then. At least you'll have the element of surprise."

**XxX**

Midna transported them into an alleyway near the doctor's building, fortunately enough. Though there appeared to be a few guards stationed around the town, the majority of them appeared to be either drowsy or asleep. Rain was beginning to fall again as they huddled under the small roof over the doctor's door while Glenna pounded rather relentlessly on it.

After a long while, a voice hissed, "Who is it? What could you possibly want at an hour like this?"

"It's Glenna, Doctor. It really is an emergency, open up."

Doctor Borville grumbled something fierce, but the lock clicked and the door flew open. He peered up at them with nothing lighting their faces but a small candle. "Well, come in, then. It's cold! Close the door, come, come!" He set off into the back of the building, and Link closed the door, leaving them in pitch black.

A moment later, there was a faint glow given off by a few candles, enough that they could know where they were treading. "Well? What's the emergency? Goddesses, girl, you look - no, both of you look - a mess! What in all of Hyrule have you been doing?"

Recalling the previous time they had seen the doctor, Link asked, with a bitter smile, "I don't suppose you're well versed in dragon terminology?"

"What on-?"

Glenna shook her head. "Look, it doesn't matter. We need to talk to you about Ilia." At the doctor's blank stare, her eyebrows shot up her forehead. "You know, the girl who begged and pleaded for you to help that dying Zora boy? He's fine, by the way, and he's the ruler of Zora's Domain now."

"Bah! Yes, yes, of course I remember her. One of the guards found her collapsed by the gates and brought her to me… She suffered some sort of blow to the head which, I'm sure you could tell, has had horrid effects on her memory. What more could I tell you?"

Link took the reigns immediately. "A very wise man told us that she didn't appear here first; she was somewhere else, so we need to work our way backwards. Before she ended up with us, or Telma, she was with you. Did she have anything on her, anything at all, that hinted to where she might have been?"

The doctor made a noise that sounded like something between a snort and a growl. "I don't have to tell _you _anything, boy…"

Glenna squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Please don't be unpleasant. We've had an extremely long day, and I'm not in the mood for anymore fights…"

"Whine all you want, I don't have to tell either of you anything. You hooligans, barging in here late at night and awakening an old man…" He began to start for his office and made to blow out the candle, but Glenna placed a hand on his shoulder. "You…"

She heaved a sigh. "You really won't make this easy, huh? First of all, Link is Ilia's best friend; they've known each other since they were children. He's also trying to restore her memory so, yeah, I'd say you should tell him. If that doesn't convince you enough, Telma is getting a little tired of you putting your drinks on your tab all the time. It's getting pretty up there in the rupee amount, too. I don't suppose you have the money to pay for it?"  
The doctor visibly blanched as the fire illuminated his face. "I… I… Telma knows that I intend, fully, to pay her, but I haven't been getting much business lately…"

"Might help if you start to take Zoras and Gorons as patients," suggested Link from the doorway.

"Wh-what? Would the two of you really beat down an old man for some stupid money? Fine, I'll tell you! That girl, she was holding a strange little statue of some sort, but it made me nervous, so I tossed it. It's gone, as far as I know. Sorry to break it to you."

Glenna folded her arms over her chest. "That's… it? You just tossed it? Nothing more to it."

"I am afraid not," sneered Doctor Borville. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going back to bed. Out, get out now!" He all but shoved them back into the rain.

Link pounded his fist against the wall of the building. "Now what?"

"We could try to see if we could find the statue by her scent, but the trail's probably all but gone now," sighed Glenna as she slunk down to the ground. "But we can't give up. There must be a way to find it. I'm sure that statue is lying around here somewhere, if only we knew what it looked like… Alright, let's just roam around and see if we can find anything." Her body morphed and, in the next moment, she was a wolf.

She looked up at Link with her tail wagging, and Midna appeared out of thin air. "Maybe we'll have better luck if you're both wolves." She snapped, and the dark crystal hovered in the air between them. "Remember, all you have to do is touch it, then I can turn you back."

Glenna and Link padded through the streets, splashing water and soaking themselves. _'What exactly are we looking for?' _asked Link.

_'Anyone that can help.' _He stared at her, but she did not answer as they rounded a corner and a large, ratty-looking dog ran to meet them. It surveyed them with a tilted head for a moment. _'Listen, have you seen any… strange little statues here lately?' _

Had Link been human, his eyebrows would have shot up his forehead. Instead, he watched the other dog, who seemed to be considering his answer. _'Actually… Yes! It looked sort of like something that would belong to a Sheikah, now that I think about it, but me and my friends just thought it was a toy. We were playing with it, and a kid took us to the southern part of the field to play catch. But then we were attacked by a pack of skeletal dogs! We ran away, and those dogs took the statue. I don't know why they'd want it… Maybe they wanted to play with it, too.'_

_ 'Southern Hyrule field, through the southern part of town?' _A humanlike nod from the dog. _'Perfect. Thanks. C'mon-' _Glenna did not need to finish her sentence, Link was already sprinting down the road, and the two of them were running across a small bridge.

_'I wasn't completely aware this place existed,' _admitted Link as they walked below an archway and rounded the fountain.

_'It's too out of the way to be useful to most people. It's pretty easy to get to Lake Hylia from here, though. You just jump down through that gaping hole over there,' _she nodded over to a hole a ways away from them; Link simply stared at her.

_'It's a wonder you've lived this long, Glenn.' _

_'I know. I like to think it's part of my charm.' _

Link snorted but was hindered from further antagonizing by a strange sound. It sounded like something was digging, but there appeared to be no one around. In fact, it nearly sounded like the digging was coming from _below _the ground. Was that even…? His train of thought broke off with a growl as the moon broke through the clouds to clear up their surroundings.

Looking even more eerie by the direct illumination of the moonlight was a pack of canine creatures… made entirely of bones. Link was reminded of the Stalfos in the Temple of Time and Arbiter's Ground though, admittedly, the dogs looked much less formidable; they had no weapons. _'Look!' _Glenna's voice freed him from his reverie, but he was unsure of what he was supposed to be looking for.

It did not take long. One of the dogs, at the back of the pack, had what looked like a small artifact clenched between its teeth. His feet moved automatically as he snapped his jaws and pounced through the air, landing on the nearest Stalhound. After such a long stretch of time without fighting anything, Link almost relished in the feel of tearing apart the Stalhounds.

Glenna must have sensed this because, when he finished the ones that he saw, he found her sitting on the side with the statue in her mouth and her tail wagging. Her body shifted so that she was hylian again, and she turned the artifact over in her hand while Midna reverted Link to his normal form. "That dog was right, it's definitely of Sheikah origin."

"But what does that mean?" wondered Link as he stepped beside her to get a good look at the object. It wasn't all that big and was made up of an array of strange shapes. Oddly enough, it was topped with a large eye that had three triangles jutting from it.

Glenna pursed her lips and shook her head. "I couldn't tell you. Even my knowledge of the Sheikah is limited, but… I bet that Zelda could help."

**XxX**

Zelda certainly did have a sixth sense for most things. When they returned to the Inn, she was still sitting at the bar. "Did you find what it was you were looking for?"

"I think so," agreed Link, slowly, as he handed the statue to her. "Do you know what this is, or what it means?"

She wrapped her fingers around the statue and squeezed it with a brief sort of fondness as her eyes closed. "Yes. It belonged to the Sheikah tribe."

"If this _is _Ilia's, then doesn't that mean she's been in contact with some Sheikah?" Link glanced around at the others. "Is that even possible."

Glenna half-shrugged. "I had heard they were extinct - and I certainly haven't seen any - but Avon told me she was living in some small village where there was a Sheikah. Of course, she couldn't point us in that direction now," she added in the lowest voice she could muster.  
Zelda had fallen uncharacteristically quiet. Even Link could tell, and she was fixed with two very intent gazes. "There is a place," she remarked, "but I think you should show that statue to Ilia. See what she can tell you."

"Alright," he agreed as she handed the statue back to her. He and Glenna exchanged a confused stare before he started up the staircase. Ilia's bedroom was one of the first, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed a dark shape move inside.

"Link, is that you?" mumbled Ilia into the darkness as she sat up in her bed.

"Yeah. Can I come in?" Even though she gave him permission, he hesitated. It wouldn't have been weird before. In fact, he had found her at the edge of his bed, and the other way around, many times through their childhood during bad storms. Now, however, Ilia was hardly the same person. "I hope I didn't wake you."

He could vaguely make out her head shaking. "No, not really. I was already awake. I heard you all talking… About me, my memory. Did you really find something that might restore it?" She didn't bother to keep the hope out of her voice, and he wasn't surprised; that was the kind of girl she had always been.

"I think so, I _hope _so." He placed the statue into her hand. "Here, does that bring back… anything? Anything at all?"

Ilia frowned. "It's hard to see much of anything." Link fished his lantern out of his pack, lit it, and set it on the table. All at once, Ilia gave a great big gasp, like a person breaking through the surface of water. "I… I…"

"Yeah?" Link couldn't keep his own excitement checked. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for.

She wrapped her fingers around the wood and clenched it so tightly that her knuckled turned white. "There was a woman, a sweet woman… We were trapped together, somewhere… Monsters were pacing around us, but she told me not to worry, that we would be safe… And then she saved me, she set me free! Impaz, that was her name! She gave me this statue before I left. Oh, oh no, I hope she's alright, she risked so much to help me… But I can't say I completely remember where that place was, only that it reminds me of this village, but on a much smaller scale." Ilia shook her head and fought back tears. "Oh, that's it. I can't remember anything else, nothing at all. I'm so sorry."

Hesitantly, Link rested his hand on her shoulder. "No, don't apologize. It's fine. I'll find out where the owner of this statue is, I promise."

The flame was reflected in Ilia's eyes as they widened, making them look like emeralds. "Link, it was so dangerous there. I don't want you to get hurt."

He offered her a smile and half-heartedly withdrew his hand. "I'll be fine. I want to do this, for you. Don't worry too much."

Ilia busied her free hand with the comforter. "T-thank you. Be careful."

When Link returned downstairs, Glenna and Zelda immediately fell silent. As if that weren't obvious enough, Glenna hurriedly asked, "How'd it go?"

"She remembered that a woman named Impaz from another village gave it to her and helped her, but she doesn't remember where," answered Link, temporarily forgetting the secret conversation. "Any ideas, Princess?"

Zelda nodded without hesitation. "There is a place, a sacred place, connected to the Royal Family. It's not too far past the Bridge of Eldin, in fact, it's the place where the Bulbins are most concentrated in this province," she added, he guessed, mostly to Glenna.

Clearly, she knew what the princess spoke of as she snapped. "Oh, that place! Link, do you remember when we were going to Lanayru, and I told you to run through the area past the bridge?" He nodded, vaguely recalling those events. "Do you remember when the Bulbins were shooting at us from all over the place?" Another nod. "There… That must be where this village is. But why did you never say anything, Zelda?"

"I had my reasons," was all she said, and Glenna, for once, did not question her. "Link, if there are monsters there, then the village might have been closed off-"

"-It must be, I've never noticed it before."

"…So be careful. If you need me…" Zelda raised her hand, and the Triforce of Wisdom flashed.

Link nodded and started to the door, then stopped when he realized he only heard his own footsteps. "Glenna, aren't you coming?"

"Zelda needs me to do something for her, but I have faith in you. You can do it!" She smiled weakly.

"What… are you two planning?"

Glenna's smile became significantly more forced. "Hush, you. Go help your friend." It was not until minutes after Link's departure that she spoke again. "So, are you sure? Ganondorf, he'll be here… tonight?" She tried, and failed, to suppress a shudder at the thought.

Zelda's expression turned placid. "Yes, absolutely sure. Glenna, perhaps you should have gone-"

"No, no way. I wasn't with you last time something like this happened, and this time it's _Ganondorf_. _The _Ganondorf. There's no way I'm leaving you here. I'll… I'll take care of him."

"Maybe Link should have stayed, then. I am not insulting your abilties, but, to quote you, it is '_the _Ganondorf.'" A small smile upturned the corners of her mouth, briefly, then faded away.

Glenna's lips set in a straight line, and her face became deadly serious. "No," she spoke in a voice to match her expression. "It's better this way."

* * *

**A/n: Sorry, this was much more filler than I would have liked. So, the all important question I need you to answer is how you would feel about Link's presence in the sequel. He is certainly going to be in it, but I was going to have him in it a significant less amount. If you want him in the sequel the same amount that he is in this story, or less, let me know in your review!**


	32. The Devil Himself

**Chapter Thirty-Two:  
**The Devil Himself

**A/n: I've been wanting to update this in a while, but things have been getting in my way. This chapter is super long today (my longest yet), and I would apologize, but I regret nothing. There was no good place to edit, since much of this is a fight scene that I did not want to cut. I hope everyone enjoys the end of the world tomorrow, don't forget your Fierce Deity mask, etc., etc.,**

* * *

Link had always enjoyed a good nighttime ride. It had been a very rare occurrence back when he was living in Ordon, but he and Rusl had made very rare visits to Castle Town in the evenings. There was something about the smell of the night air and the feel of the brisk wind on his face that was immensely pleasing to him.

Now, given the opportunity to ride across the vast landscape of the field, he nearly felt like shouting, and he could barely resist the urge. Soon, his best friend would regain her memory, and he and Midna would help her reclaim the Twilight Realm. For the first time in a while, everything was going according to plan. "Having fun?" asked Midna, the hint of a giggle in her voice as she watched his gleeful expression.

"This is great, Midna. Things are finally looking up! The evening is nice and, for once, I don't see any monsters in the field. This is... just great."

Midna did laugh at that. "Yes, you mentioned that already." He only smiled and said nothing more as they rode through the silent field.

Admittedly, Link had lost track of time since everything had first happened. He was quite sure it had been sometime in autumn before Ilia and the children were kidnapped. The days, and nights, had been slowly becoming cooler for quite some time and he wondered when winter would be coming down on them. _'If it comes soon, it's a good thing we've gotten through most of the traveling.' _A thought abruptly struck him. "Midna... you've never seen snow, have you?" Instinctively, he knew the Twilight Realm could not have had such a thing. Or, so he thought.

Midna placed a tiny hand to her chin. "Snow? I don't think so... What is that?"

"It's powdery rain, sort of. It's white and pretty cold. When we get a lot of it, it piles up and sits so high it can end up taller than even me! It's like Snowpeak. That was snow, remember?"

"Oh!" She sounded so enthusiastic. "_That's _what snow was. Didn't I tell you how weird it was?"

Link chuckled. "I guess I've never thought about it, I'm so used to it... It's too bad you'll be leaving us soon; you could see all of Hyrule covered in it."

"It's not going to be like Zora's Domain during the twilight spell and freeze everything, right?" she asked, alarmed.

He could not help it, Link laughed. "No, no, nothing like that. Water only freezes when it gets really cold. And with Zora's Domain specifically, it takes really, _really_, cold weather to freeze the water. It's nice, though. Everything turns white."

Midna rubbed her chin and, in a soft voice, said, "I can't possibly imagine." And Link felt a sadness stab at his heart because he knew it was true.

A new silence, save the sound of Epona's hooves galloping on the stone of the bridge and then pounding the dirt, fell over them. It did not last long as inhuman cries sounded somewhere above. Link immediately leapt off Epona, who fled when a fiery arrow sailed towards them. He raised his shield over himself and Midna, fending off the attack as best as they could. Midna's eyes took on a glow in the darkness as she took in their surroundings.

"Bulbin arches are all over the cliff, and I'm pretty sure I can hear more. You won't be able to take them all out and, even if you could, it would be a waste of arrows. I say we press on and try to figure out where the entrance to this village is."

Link also examined the tops of the cliffs, making out too many pairs of beady red eyes glaring down at them, knowing Midna was right. "Get in my shadow, there's no way I can protect the both of us, if I can even protect myself."

Midna opened her mouth as an indignant expression passed over her face, but then she dipped into his shadow. Link scrambled up the path, looking into the walls for something that just didn't look right. Fortunately for him, it did not take too long to find rock that looked like it was covering something.

All around him, Bulbins were growling and shooting at him. He wondered why they did not drop down and attack him that way and assumed that they were either aware they were so stupid that they would injure themselves or they were too afraid. Likely, it was a mix of both. "Good, this works better for me," he mumbled as he pulled a bomb out of his pack and placed it near the strange-looking rock.

He backed up a bit and threw up his shield to defend himself. The bomb exploded, filling the area with smoke and clouds of dust, but, when it all cleared, the rock was still there. It was only a little chipped. "Damn it," growled Link as he ran over at the rock and punched it.

_'That's not going to get rid of the rock, you know,' _Midna's smart aleck voice echoed in his head.

For the sake of keeping the conversation clean, Link opted not to say anything and set off a series of four bombs. He moved backwards again, shielding as much of his body as possible from the archers as well as the massive explosion. Even more smoke and dust rose into the air, earning grunts of confusion from the Bulbins above.

This time, when the smoke cleared, Link saw a path leading into what looked like a tiny village. He needed no prompting from Midna and ran inside, out of the archer's reach at last.

"Remember that Ilia said there were monsters here when she was kidnapped. Considering the village was blocked off, I'm sure that hasn't changed. Keep your wits about you... Geez, watch out, Link!" Midna's hair transformed into a hand, which yanked Link backward as they pressed themselves against one of the cliff walls. An arrow whose fire was steadily extinguishing lay where Link had been standing. "More archers."

Link rubbed his arm and nodded. "More careful, then, I guess."

Midna managed a faint smile. "Okay, I'll go through the village and see what I can see. I'll kill what I can and leave the rest up to you. Unless, of course, I beat you to it."

"That sounds almost like a challenge."

A black orb, crackling with magical energy, rose over Midna's hand. "Oh, no, not a challenge, because you don't stand a chance."

"We'll see, Midna," was Link's only response as he pulled out his bow and an arrow.

As Link shot down another Bulbin (he had lost count after his tenth or so kill), his hands practically on autopilot, he found himself wondering about Ilia. How had she ended up in the village? How had she left? Had the village been sealed _because _she left? Why this village, of all places? How had she managed to get to Castle Town safely?

Somewhere in the village, there was the woman who had saved Ilia, or so he hoped. He wished for nothing greater than to find her, thank her, and see if she knew of any way to jog Ilia's memory. The stairs creaked below his boots as Link surveyed the empty building. He caught neither hair nor hide of any more Bulbins but, he thought, it never hurt to be careful when you were facing creatures that could shoot you in the heart.

He looked across the room and realized there was one final area he had not checked and climbed outside through a mostly shattered window. There was nothing outside, save for a small slab of stone with a hole through the center. He could make out the whistling of wind through it, and was only half-surprised when a golden wolf jumped over the stone and knocked him over.

For the umpteenth time, Link opened his eyes to find himself in an ethereal area right before Hyrule Castle. He righted himself immediately and found Shade standing behind him. "It has been quite some time, Link. I was fearful you had gone and died on me."

"Yeah, well, I didn't," he replied offhandedly.

Shade's eye fell to the sword sheathed on Link's back. His entire body froze. "Is that... the Master Sword?"

Link raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Sure is. Why?"

"N...nothing. Just an old memory passed, is all." Shade straightened up and refocused his eye on Link. It was a little unsettling, really. "The Master Sword accepting you means great things. You are becoming the warrior that I knew you would. You are strong, and you truly carry the spirit of the great hero. Who knows, this could mean that you could become greater than the Hero of Time himself."

Link felt a little jarred, having not heard anyone speak of the Hero of Time in quite a while. "But I digress. You must know that great danger lies before you, greater than before. I have more than enough faith that with your power, and the skills I have passed down to you, that you will beat Zant.

"But a power greater than Zant himself is still a great threat to you and your friends, one that I hope you have not forgotten." Link was about to question how Shade knew of so much, but stopped himself in favor of hearing what the skeleton had to say. "Ganondorf," he spat the name like it was poison in his mouth, "is out there. Your friends are in danger."

"The princess is prepared for that-"

"Do not speak of it as if it is some far off fantasy!" boomed Shade, his voice echoing in the empty space. "Tonight, he comes tonight."

Link felt more awake than he had in days. "What are you talking about? How could you possibly know that?"

"I am ever present, Link, or have you not noticed that by now? I see beyond the layers the separate the dead from the living."

"Is that what this is? The land of the dead?"

Shade stamped his foot, jostling his armor. "This is my own purgatory, but that is beside the point. You must go back to your friends. You must protect the princess."

"Of course I will, but from what?"

"Ganondorf has only ever desired one thing: the death of Princess Zelda and the hero. You must go back to her as soon as you can. You must save her," his voice became softer, and there was something in his voice... regret?

Link nodded. "I will."

"In your current state, you don't stand much of a chance. Prove me wrong. Fight me."

"You just told me to hurry!"

"There is no point in hurrying if it is to your death. You'll get both the princess and yourself killed if you cannot defeat me," remarked Shade, back to his stern demeanor. "Ganondorf will wait to kill Zelda, until you are there. He will want to kill you first."

Link swallowed the unusually large lump that had formed in his throat. "How do you know all of this?"

Shade chuckled, a sound that rumbled from his skeletal chest. "Defeat me, and you will know. Now, come at me!" He raised his sword and stood perfectly still, waiting for Link to make the first move.

With fear in his heart quickening his pace, Link hurried toward the old warrior and faked at the last minute. While Shade struck down where Link had been, Link had rolled behind him to attack his back. Shade chuckled and inclined his head a bit. "Not too shabby, but don't allow it to go to your head!"

He rushed back at Link, so quickly that Link was not sure he'd be able to do anything to stop him. Remembering his shield, Link held his arm before him and bashed the Hylian shield into Shade as he came within a foot of him. Shade was momentarily stunned, enough so that Link could get in more slashes.

Shade recovered quickly and swung at him, but Link parried within his own sword, earning a grunt of approval. Link pushed down on the sword until Shade had no choice but allow his sword arm to drop to the side, giving Link the opening he needed to attack.

As Link continuously attacked Shade just enough to hold him back, he realized that what he really needed was some type of finishing move. It was not enough just to provide himself with defense, but to be strong enough to actually stop his enemy. Link ran at Shade again and switched up his angle at the last moment to keep him confused. Then, he bashed his shield into him and used Shade's shoulder to volt behind him. There, he attacked Shade's undefended backside with the strongest spinning attack he could manage.

The force was enough to, at last, knock Shade to the ground. Link huffed as his breath attempted to catch up with him but remained standing tall. He could not forget the things Shade had said to him; he was haunted by the thought of Ganondorf attacking Zelda and Glenna. "That look in your eye, I recall it very distantly," remarked Shade with a husky chuckle as he stood. "Sheath your sword, you have proved your worth to me."

Link did so and approached his ghostly mentor. "I recognize it as one of love. No, you don't have to explain to me. Just listen. In life, I was known as a hero," he managed a wry smile, "The Hero of Time is what they called me."

Link nearly fell over from the shock, he felt his knees momentarily give way. "You? You're the Hero of Time? _The _Hero of Time?!"

"I suppose you get tired of hearing you look just like me, but you do. Saria will forever be such a clever girl. She recognized you in a way that most didn't. She saw me, _hoped _to see me, but she knew, of course. I had to grow up, unlike her. I believe she knew why she thought you looked exactly like me," there was a distant look in his eye, as if he were far away, but it was gone in a moment. "I suppose you tire of hearing that you look just like me, but of course you do. You and I are kin, that is why you are so powerful," he said, following another booming laugh.

"I once saved Hyrule, sacrificing my life and my childhood to do so. I would have, truthfully, done anything to help Zelda. We conspired together, like children, but in a very much adult way. She knew what we needed to do, and I followed her orders. I still remember her and miss her often. Your princess very much reminds me of her, of course, with them being related.

"And once I beat Ganondorf and saved Hyrule, Zelda sent me back in time, taking the responsibility of rebuilding Hyrule on her own when I would have been more than happy to stand by her side and help. She wanted me to have a childhood, but after all the fighting and death I had seen, there was no way I could go back to being a child. Save Saria, the Kokiri would not have accepted me as I was not their kin, and I felt then that I had nowhere else to go. The worst part was my companion left me... a companion that I know you have met. My very dear friend, Navi."

Link was not completely sure why Shade was telling him all of these things but remained quiet. "She came back, I noticed, but it seems that we missed each other. I don't even know which time period she ended up in... But I was no longer home, I had gone to search for her and, in the process, ended up in a completely different kingdom, one known as Termina. I will not bore you with the details, but I saved Termina from destruction by an evil mask. When I came back, I returned to the castle to speak with Zelda immediately; I knew I had to tell her what had happened. And the thing is that she believed me just like I believed her when she told me that Ganondorf would be the cause of Hyrule's destruction. Unfortunately, by that time, she had already been betrothed, though I wonder if, really, her father would have minded us marrying, given that I had told them about what Ganondorf did in the future...

"After that, I still didn't know where home was, but I remembered a little girl who gave me her horse, Epona." Shade seemed quietly pleased by Link's wide eyes and open mouth. "I asked her father if I could stay with them, and I did. It was peaceful living on a farm, all of my years of fighting and killing faded to the back of my mind, though, I admit, I was always haunted by what had happened in the future as well as in Termina; there had been so much death for a child, if I could even be called that, to witness. I married that girl, Malon, and we had a child. Malon was your great-grandmother many times removed, which, of course, would mean that I am-"

"We're related," breathed Link, interrupting Shade. "Me? To the Hero of Time?"

Shade chuckled. "Is it really so hard to believe? We are so similar, you and I. Our situations are even quite similar. But because you are my child, I know that you will end Zant and bring peace to the Twilight Realm, and I have no doubt that you will defeat Ganondorf. With your companions and the Master Sword, there is nothing you cannot do, my son, but a word of warning.

"Ganondorf may not kill the princess immediately, but he will have no qualms about hurting others, especially if he believes it will put him at an advantage. Hurry back to your friends. I know you will make me proud. My words must sound hollow, like an old man going on about better times, but I ask you to remember my words. Take them as a cautionary tale."

Shade was beginning to fade, and Link found himself with many questions in his head. "Wait! There's so much I want to ask you!"

"I have passed on my knowledge to you; my business is finished. If I could go with you and kill Ganondorf once more, it would give me the greatest pleasure, but I cannot. I must move on to the land of the dead. I only ask you one thing, and that is not to kill Ganondorf, because you are my child and I know you will do that; it is in your blood. I ask you not to forget the old ones, those people who seemed so out of place during your journey... Enough people have forgotten them as is."

Link steeled himself and nodded. "I will. I will not disappoint you." For just a moment, as Shade was fading, he thought he could see a flicker of light, an image of Shade looking much Link himself...

He sucked in a breath as he found himself staring skyward at a still dark night sky. "There you are! I've been looking for you for a while now. What were you doing, taking a nap?" demanded Midna, hands on her hips. "Geez, you really look dazed... Are you alright?"

Link nodded, pushing himself off of the ground. "Yeah, just... Yeah. What's wrong?"

"Someone came out of the house on the north side of the village. She's a pretty small woman, but I'm sure she didn't see me. She may be the one Ilia was speaking of, so I'd hurry."

Again, he nodded and ran through the building as Midna disappeared into his shadow. As promised, he found a very tiny elderly woman with thinning grey hair and piercing red eyes shuffling around the village. When she saw him, she clutched at her heart but soon relaxed. "Those beasts are all gone now, aren't they?" she asked, a smile slowly spreading across her wrinkled face.

"Yes, you're safe now," assured Link as he closed the distance between them.

"I'm glad. I've so missed the fresh air..." She looked Link up and down and raised her eyebrows. "Please don't think me rude, and I apologize if I am wrong, but are you not Link?"

"Yeah, I am, but how...?" Link closed his eyes. "Of course. Ilia told you, didn't she?"

The woman clapped her hands together. "I knew it, you are the man she spoke so fondly of. She reassured me that you would come and save us. Such a sweet girl, trying to keep an old woman calm when she, a child, must have been so frightened... Oh, dear, forgive this old woman's forgetfulness. My name is Impaz, and this is Old Kakariko, the proud old village of my people." At Link's confused expression, she added, "The Sheikah, my dear."

"This is the old village of the Sheikah? Correct me if I'm wrong, but... aren't you the only one here?"

Impaz smiled sadly. "I'm afraid I am the only Sheikah left. By royal decree, I am not allowed to leave this sacred place, I must remain until I meet someone who has 'kissed the heavens'... Not that I would necessarily want to leave, I suppose. This is the place of my ancestors."

Immediately recognizing the vague clue, Link said, "You mean the place where the Oocca live, don't you? I've... been there, in fact. I have the Dominion Rod to prove it."

Again, Impaz clapped her hands together and hurried back into her home. "Oh, my dear! Then, I have something for you. Hold on one moment." She returned to him in a flash, quicker than he thought any elderly person could move, and held out a worn book bound in brown leather. There was gold etched into the cover in a language he recognized immediately as the sky writing of Ooccoo's people. "Why, this is such a wonderful day! Oh, but I'm sure you aren't here about that, are you?"

"I'm here about Ilia. I'm not sure if you knew this because it seems like she was still pretty aware of who she was when she was here, but she's lost her memory. I've been trying to work my way backwards to restore it, and that led me here, the last possible place where Ilia could have been after being abducted from our village."

Impaz's thin eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Something to restore her memory, hm? Well, she did leave me a charm. You see, when we were imprisoned together, I was so worried about her. It's one thing for this old woman to be trapped here, but another for a young girl who does not even belong here. I provided a distraction so she could escape, and she left me her charm, something to remember her by and act as good luck. I've kept it on my person ever since... here!" She dug around in her obi and pulled out what looked like a horseshoe.

Link surveyed it with interest as her frail hand passed it into his. It looked exactly like something Ilia would make. "This is perfect. I think this is going to be just the thing that will restore her memory, Impaz. Thank you!" He bent down to envelop the woman in a brief, but tight, hug.

"Oh, dearie, of course! I would do anything to help that cheerful child. Now, you go on and restore that girl's memory, okay? And you write me once she's all better! I would be more than happy to have you back here, young man. Such a brave man you are."

Link blinked. "You're going to stay here?"

Impaz smiled weakly. "This place is in my blood and bones, my child... I could not just leave. I was named after a founder of the village, a very important woman. But I will be fine, now that you saved me from those beasts."

"Send me a letter if you have anymore trouble," said Link as he tucked the charm away. "I promise I'll come back."

"Thank you again!" she called as Link ran out of the village with Shade's words of warning echoing in his head. His chest felt constricted at the thought of ruthless Ganondorf attacking.

As he found himself outside of the village, the disappearance of all of the other Bulbins was lost on him. Midna popped out of the shadows beside him and surveyed his face as it steadily shifted to a look of horror. "Glenna said the princess needed her to do something, what if the two of them knew Ganondorf was coming tonight?"

"Why do you think he's coming at all?"

"I'll have to explain later. For now, just take my word for it. I was told that Ganondorf wouldn't kill the princess without me being there, but that he would not think a thing about killing someone else... The entire village, and Glenna... what if...?"

Midna's expression, Link imagined, mirrored his. "No, Zelda wouldn't allow it," she insisted, though her voice sounded hollow. Even Zelda was not perfect.

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" asked Zelda, not for the first time, as she cast a glance Glenna's way.

Glenna had yet to take care of her burns, bruises, cuts or aches, and it was not lost on her that the day had been long. It felt like she had not slept in days, and her eyes burned. The adrenaline kept her on edge and stopped her from falling asleep or feeling anything, really. "I'll be fine. And don't you dare think about healing me," she added with a glare, "you need all of the power that you can get. I drank a potion, I'll be fine."

Zelda's eyes fell down to her hand where the Triforce of Wisdom was glowing. "It is time." They simultaneously stood, walking out of the bar and into the dark village. Everything seemed so quiet. The only thing Glenna could hear was the trickling of the spring. All of the guays seemed to have left.

"Feels like it's been night forever," mumbled Glenna before looking toward her princess. "Where do you feel... strongest? Is he coming here?"

"I feel a tug out of the village... That way," she gestured toward the Death Mountain trail and the bridge of Eldin.

"At least it's out of the village," remarked Glenna before whistling. Avianna galloped up to them, and Glenna patted her neck. "Jump on."

Avianna galloped out of the village, kicking up clouds of dirt and dust as Glenna urged her onward. With every movement, Glenna felt her heart beat faster and faster and, glancing over her shoulder at Zelda's calm face, wondered how the princess felt.

They did not get terribly far, ending up only in the center of Hyrule field, the castle and the bridge of Eldin looking far away. Glenna slowed Avianna to a trot, and then a total stand still. "Zelda?"

"This is the place," said Zelda as her eyes scanned the surrounding area. "Don't dismount yet."

Glenna nodded, and continued to allow Avianna to trot. It was too quiet, she thought. Just like the village. It was as if time itself had froze. There was only the faint sound of the wind howling, and her own breathing.

She was pulled out of her reverie when Zelda inhaled sharply. "What is it? What's wrong?" The princess did not answer, only pointed to the distance.

A dark figure was standing with its back toward them on a slight hill. It did not move, and Glenna was nearly convinced that it was nothing more than a statue. She quickly halted Avianna, and they remained there, staring and waiting.

The figure spoke in a deep voice, with a sound like the rumbling of the earth. "You much remind me of that little girl who thwarted my plans. I imagine she would have looked much like you, had I seen her grow up." He turned to face them, the shock of red hair all that was visible in the darkness. "Though, I must admit, while I am slightly amused by the way you managed to thwart the idiotic Twili, you put your ancestor to great shame. She was more intelligent as a child than you have ever managed to be as an adult."

Neither of them spoke as Ganondorf moved toward them at a languid pace. "I know it was the divine power that led you here." He raised his hand in a fist, and a golden triangle lit up in the darkness. "Such is destiny."

"Destiny?" echoed Zelda.

"Of course. In my previous life, so long ago, I had plans to snuff out the life of the princess and her chosen hero. I never got the opportunity, but fate has given me one last chance."

The screeching of Glenna drawing out her sword seemed to scream in the silence, and Ganondorf looked toward her. "You are powerless to stop me with your frail sword and weak curse. No one can stand before I, most certainly not a filthy mongrel."

"I won't let you kill Zelda. You'll have to drain me of all of my blood and break all of my bones before I would even consider the idea."

A smile twitched at the corners of Ganondorf's dark lips. He clenched his hand in a fist, then released it, and clenched it once more. "It has been so long since I have been able to feel the wind on my face and feel the fear radiating off of my enemies. Even longer since I have plunged my sword into flesh. Might you like to be my first victim, then, shapeshifter? It is not too late for you to run with your tail between your legs. I am aware of your self-preservation skills, after all." And he smiled as she made a growling sound, knowing full well he spoke of her betrayal of Midna and Link.

"Glenna, do not fall for his tactics." Zelda placed a hand on Glenna's shoulder, her eyes narrowed into a hateful glare while she gripped Glenna's shoulder very softly. "This is my battle to fight."

Glenna leapt off of Avianna and glanced back at the princess of Hyrule, the woman who would be queen. "Zelda, I've always looked up to you, ever since we were children. You have done so much for me. But I'm afraid, as your friend and as your bodyguard, as it were, I can't let you throw your life away. You will become queen, whether or not I'm here to witness it. I won't let you die. Let me do this."

Zelda immediately opened her mouth to protest, but Glenna only walked away. "How very courageous of you, shapeshifter. I applaud you for your foolish temerity. That you think you can best me s truly amusing." Ganondorf took a few steps toward her, removing a longsword from his hip. His eyes flickered up to Zelda, who was still on the horse with an ornate bow clutched in her hand. "In this moment, I know what you are thinking. You believe that your light can blot out my existence, don't you?"

Zelda said nothing, but Glenna could sense her anxiety. _'What is Ganondorf getting at, anyway?' _she thought as she marched toward him.

"Allow me to show you something. It is a gift from the sages themselves." He held the sheath horizontally and very slowly slid out the sword. The moment only inches of the blade was showing, Zelda and Glenna sensed something was wrong. There was no reason for a blade to have such a bright glow without something equally as bright shining before it, and Zelda had yet to fire a single light arrow. "You look concerned, Princess. Where is your faith in your light?"

The only sound was Ganondorf's sword sliding out of the sheath. Soon, it became obvious that the sword was not reflecting any light at all. It was emitting it. "What is that?" demanded Zelda as Ganondorf held the sword toward them, apparently wanting to keep it as far away from his body, unsheathed, as possible.

"This is the light sword the sages thought they could execute me with. After I killed the water sage and they flew into a panic, I took this as a souvenir before they sent me through the mirror. If you thought I would be afraid of your light arrows, then you were mistaken."

Zelda was nervous, there was no doubt about it, but the light arrows were all she had to go on. It was their last defense. In her dreams, her premonitions, the spirits had told her that her light arrows would be enough. How could they be wrong on such a caliber? She calmed herself with the reminder that she had not been proven wrong yet. The light arrows were, at the moment, only a backup plan. But dread was steadily filling her as she wondered how she could place her friend's life in mortal danger.

Ignoring Ganondorf's goadings, Zelda retrieved an arrow from her satchel and notched it in the bow. He only stood, amused, watching her as light steadily colored the arrowhead. His arrogance did nothing but deflate her confidence, but Zelda aimed at him nonetheless and released the arrow. It sailed through the air and hit Ganondorf, but he did not so much as stumble one step backward.

Glenna's instincts screamed at her. "This is bad," she said to herself as Ganondorf began to run towards her with the bright sword. He moved as if he weighed nothing and was on her before she had a chance to formulate a plan. She raised her sword to block, and the field rang with the sound of metal on metal.

Ganondorf was a large man, much bigger than Glenna, and his sword was no different. She struggled to push him off of her, but her feet were in a horribly mangled position, and it took all she had not to fall to the ground. "You are more skilled in swordplay that I imagined. However, you must be more than skilled; you must be strong!" With a roar, Ganondorf knocked Glenna away from him.

Glenna stumbled backwards, but Ganondorf was not satisfied. He ran at her again, this time moving his sword in a stabbing motion. Despite her best efforts to avoid the attack, Ganondorf seemed to sense her movements, and his sword sank into the flesh of her abdomen. She grunted, falling to one knee as he chuckled. "You are but a mere infant to me. If you have any hope of preventing your own death, you'll have to do better than that." He yanked the sword out, and she tried to ignore the sound it made as it left her flesh.

The wound, admittedly, was not bad. It was more of a warning attack, to show Glenna a sliver of his strength. He was toying with her. "That was nothing. Just a warm up. Let me show you how strong I really am!" She ran at him, and he backed off, sword held to the side, and he waited.

"Glenna!" warned Zelda, who said a few more things, but her voice was lost as thunder rolled above them.

Ganondorf abruptly raised his elbow and hit her straight in the throat, knocking her to her knees, before slicing his sword across her stomach, pushing her back. She fell onto her back and stared up at the lightening sky. "I do recall telling you to stay out of my affairs, shapeshifter. You do not fit into this equation, how many times do I have to inform you of this fact?" With both hands on the hilt of his sword he stabbed it downward with all of his might into her thigh, rupturing blood vessels and muscle. Glenna gasped, fighting back a scream. "I have waited one hundred long years to pay back the princess for what she did to me. I swore that I would come back and kill them all, and I will not allow anything to stop me!"

Another arrow sailed through the air, bouncing off of Ganondorf's armored shoulder. The sword slid out of Glenna's thigh with a sickening sucking noise as Ganondorf rounded on Zelda. "If you have business with my ancestors, then you can deal with me, not Glenna." She shifted her body on Avianna, making to get off.

"That may be, but your friend brought herself into this fight. It is too late for her to escape."

"You don't even care about her, come and face me! Or is it that you truly do fear my light?" Zelda notched another light arrow, aiming straight at Ganondorf's neck.

Ganondorf's body shuddered with a booming laugh. "Such foolishness. You cannot even touch me!" He raised his sword and ran at Zelda and the horse, earning a frightened neigh from Avianna, who began to take off.

"Zelda, stay with her!" shouted Glenna as she ran up behind Ganondorf, stabbing her sword into his side. Zelda patted Avianna's neck, whispering sweet reassurances in the filly's ears to calm her. Eventually, she slowed back to a trot.

"Interfering again," remarked Ganondorf as he swung his sword in a semicircle, knocking Glenna away from her blade. He removed the sword without so much as a grunt and carelessly tossed it behind him. "All brawn and no brains will get you nowhere," he warned as he kicked his foot into her stomach just hard enough to make her double over. He followed up by picking her up by her throat. "I tire of this game, and I will end it right now."

Another light arrow whizzed through the air, striking Ganondorf in the back. "You will do no such thing."

Ganondorf dropped Glenna to the ground like a forgotten toy. "We've already discussed that your arrows will do you no good. Your powers are not strong enough to stop me."

"You may be right, but I must do something," answered Zelda as she leapt off of Avianna and started for them, her rapier raised in a fighting stance.

Ganondorf chuckled as he walked toward her, ever so slowly, while she continued to shoot arrows at him. "Even so, your arrows will not last you forever."

"Damn it, this isn't working. Zelda, you need to go! I'll hold him off, just go!" cried Glenna as she ran up behind Ganondorf again, her loudness resulting in him instantly slashing into her stomach.

"Glenna..."

Ganondorf's eyes were alight with fury as he seized Glenna by the front of her dress. "I will not allow you to leave, Princess."

"You're not the boss of her, Ganondorf," remarked Glenna before spitting into his face. For a brief moment, the fury became even more pronounced in his eyes, then his expression became flat, almost amused. "What is it? What's so funny?" she demanded in a steely voice, attempting to mask her terror of being weaponless. The Kokiri Sword was still on her, but it would be difficult to grab with Ganondorf in her face as he was.

"You... You really think that you are causing some type of damage to me. You must, with your arrogance. But you don't see it, do you?"

"See... see what?"

"The divine power that I hold, and fate... fate would never allow me to lose to a cursed dog." He punched her across the face, splitting her lip in an instant. "I've been wasting my energy and blade on you. It would be simple enough just to crush your throat."

"Release her!" Glenna and Ganondorf simultaneously looked in the direction of the new voice. Link and Midna stood a ways away from them yet, the moonlight glinting off of the Master Sword. Chuckling, Ganondorf stood, dragging Glenna up with him. "I never thought I would see the day."

Link took a few rushed steps toward them. "What day?"

"The day where a Twili would voluntarily stand beside a person from the light and look pleased about it." Ganondorf chuckled once more. "How very amusing. Don't you realize, Midna, that it was your people's hate for those just like Link that led me to your home? It was the same hate that healed me and led me right back to Hyrule. Yet, there you stand, in all of your proud defiance while your people continued to tremble beneath the powers of a hateful being. What would they think if they knew their true ruler was running around the land of light, nurturing a ghastly relationship with a hylian?"

Midna bared her teeth at him. It was only thanks to Link's hand on her small shoulder that she did not fly into Ganondorf's face. "Speak not to me about such matters. You don't understand what it was like for my people. You don't understand how hard it was to make the hate go away."

"Go away? Imp, Zant's existence, as well as my own, is proof of the opposite. It does not take much too undo what has been done. Anger, betrayal, and hate are not difficult emotions to recover. I have watched you. Your relationship with the hero developed from one of disgust to one of love. His presence seems to have calmed your anger, yet it only takes a few words from me to recover your hate."

Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled. "You're much like an irresponsible child. Instead of ruling your people, you gallivant off with someone in this world. You hold fast to the fantasy that you can have this world and your own. How very selfish of you." There was a grin on Ganondorf's face which widened as Midna's shoulders tensed more.

"Shut up!" Midna waved her arm, sending a blast of blackness at Ganondorf. He dropped Glenna to the ground and moved out of the way.

"It would seem that I hit a sore spot." The execution sword remained perfectly still at this side. "Such a temper, Midna. You ought to be careful; you may hurt someone you care about."

Glenna pushed herself off the ground, slightly grateful that Midna had attacked, though a bit peeved that she, herself, could have been easily injured. "I don't get why you two are still here..." she grunted.

"Glenna..." Link moved toward her, and Ganondorf watched his every move.

"You need to go restore Midna's home. If you two die, then not only are the Twili without a true leader, doomed to forever be ordered around by Zant, but there will be no hope in the Twilight Realm and no hope in Hyrule."

Link's mouth was agape. "You really think we would leave?"

"No, I don't. That's the problem. You can't afford to be so selfish with your lives. Ganondorf..." She smiled, wiping the blood from her lips. "He's nothing. I can take care of him."

Link looked to Midna, who had a blank expression, then glared at Zelda and Glenna. "He'll kill you!"

"That's an insult if I ever heard one. Don't you have any faith in me at all?" With her eyes trained on Ganondorf, she joined Link. "Think of this as my repayment for betraying you and Midna. I would do anything to keep you two safe. Go to the mirror chamber, restore the mirror, and take care of Zant. I promise I'll be waiting when you come back."

"You promise?"

She managed a small smile. "I promise."

Midna hovered on Link's other side, gripping her hand into his sleeve. "Come on," she urged him. "We need to do one thing first."

Link glanced down at his pocket, where the horseshoe charm sat. "Right..." He looked back to Glenna, whose face had hardened into a determined expression. "Just remember that you promised me."

"I always keep my promises."

Midna tugged on his arm. "Let's go!"

Link whistled for Epona, who came bounding up behind him. Ganondorf was still surveying the scene with mild interest, but he didn't make a move to do anything. "Hurry up and go!" ordered Glenna before dashing at Ganondorf.

Epona whinnied as Link jumped on and made a made dash for Kakariko Village. "Did you really think I would allow you to leave so easily?" asked Ganondorf as he raised his sword. Glenna came up behind him and attempted to knock the sword from his hand, which did not work, but it distracted him enough to prolong his attack. "Such arrogance. How many times do I have to remind you that you do not belong in this picture?"

With his free hand, Ganondorf made to disarm her, but Glenna resisted. He pressed his hand over her hand and pushed it towards her arm. She could feel the muscles resisting and tried to claw at his hand with her free one, but the pain spiked and she could not think about doing anything else. The bones gave way, cracking and then breaking under the pressure. Despite herself, she let out a pained scream that ripped from somewhere deep in her throat, and it was only then that Ganondorf allowed her to drop into a heap with a satisfied smile on his face.

"That is only a taste of what you will get for standing in my way. The only question that remains is whether I should kill you now or kill the residents of the village first... It has been so long since I had the pleasure of watching the light leaving a being's eyes..."

Glenna picked her head up and attempted to glare at him, but the effect was weakened by the tears in her eyes. Anything was better than looking at her mangled wrist. "Do you... really think... I would let you do something so awful?" Every breath she took hurt.

"There is not much you can do, at this point."

She knew he was right, and she closed her eyes, not wanting to look at Zelda, still on Avianna in the distance. Her eyes stung as she opened them, and she realized she was crying even harder. Before the twilight spell, it had been a while since Glenna had truly cried, and now it felt like she was doing it all the time, and in front of her enemies, of all people. "I'm so... frustrated," she breathed.

Ganondorf chuckled, a knowing smile stretching across his face. "Because you're afraid of die and know there is nothing you can do to stop it?"

"No, not that. I'm sort of afraid to die. Well, no, I guess I'm _really _afraid of dying, but... I'm more afraid of what you'll do if I just give up, broken wrist or no."

He raised his eyebrows, the smile slipping off of his face. "And so you plan to fight me? You cannot so much as lift your sword."

"I don't need a sword to kill you. It'll only get in the way, in fact." Her spine cracked as shortened and shifted and her limbs became much smaller than they had been. With a growl tearing out of her throat, she bared her teeth at him.

"So this is how you choose to die, in your true form... I will not waste my energy on you, I will simply hurry you to the death that you so woefully desire." Ganondorf made no move to attack her, which should have been a red flag to Glenna in the first place, but she hobbled at him, careful to keep her right paw from touching the ground.

Zelda leapt off of Avianna and ran towards them. "Glenna, stop! Turn back!" Glenna ignored her as she kicked off of the ground and jumped at Ganondorf's throat. Panic made her voice rise a few octaves. "Can't you see he is baiting you?! Stop!"

Ganondorf raised his sword as Glenna came within seconds of sinking her fangs into his exposed skin. She let out a howling whine as the light sword was thrust into her abdomen. When she crumpled to the ground at his feet, he kicked her clear across the field. "Ganondorf, leave her alone," warned Zelda as she dashed toward him with her rapier.

Again, she was ignored, as Ganondorf stood over Glenna. He surveyed her ragged breathing and closed eyes for a moment. Then, he waved his hand, and Glenna's spine lengthened to make her human once again. The sword, still pulsing with light but now liberally colored red, was visible straight through her back. "Such a pitifully weak spell. I could break such a curse in my sleep. Now, my sword..." He stooped and pulled the sword, slowly, out of her body. Glenna let out a shuddering gasp, then moved no more.

Zelda slid to a stop near them, her heart hammering in her chest. She felt her chest seize as she stared at her friend. Her hands felt numb, everything did, and she suddenly felt so cold. "Glenna, Glenna, Glenna..." She placed her hands over her face and kneeled to the ground, dirtying her dress. A million thoughts at once flew through her mind.

She could see herself as a small child, surveying an exhausted, beaten girl collapsed outside of the castle's gates. She could see her father's amused face as Zelda announced that she was taking on a bodyguard. She could see herself watching as her father was laid down in his tomb with Glenna squeezing her hand. It was impossible for her to have a friend growing up, so Glenna was it. Zelda pounded the dirt and glared up at Ganondorf. "I will kill you with my own hands."

"Cut the dramatics, Princess. Your mongrel friend is still very much alive."

Zelda flew to her feet. "She is?"

"Stubborn mutt," remarked Ganondorf as he returned his eyes to Glenna's crumpled form. "But I will right that soon enough." He raised his hand, which was steadily becoming covered by a black, shadowy substance.

"Stop!" Zelda nearly leapt over to him, placing herself in front of Glenna. "If you don't touch her, I'll go with you. I know what you want. You can have whatever you ask. You can keep me as your prisoner, or execute me. I don't care. Just spare her, and spare the village."

Ganondorf chuckled. "Such selfishness. A ruler, who does not think of her kingdom, just a select few..."

"Stop, Zelda," wheezed Glenna, and Zelda quickly kneeled beside her. "He's right, I hate to say. You can't think about us, you need to think... about Hyrule. Don't... do it. Think about the kingdom... You of all people know what will happen if Ganondorf takes over... Don't. I'm nothing, you, you're everything. Go back into hiding. Link... he'll find you." She coughed, tears filling her eyes from the jerking movement, and blood dripped down her chin.

Zelda placed a hand on the back of Glenna's head. She closed her eyes and murmured, "I'm sorry, but I can't. I must be selfish. I can't watch anyone else dear to me die. I'm sorry."

Glenna was whisked into the air as Ganondorf slung her over his shoulder. Zelda scurried to her feet, her hands tightening into fists. "What are you doing?"

"I recall that you escaped from Zant once with an old magical spell. While I am nowhere near as stupid, I need some assurance that you will not try to flee. If you leave me, I will kill her, if she does not die on her own." Ganondorf placed a blood-covered hand on her chin. "Understand?"

Zelda inhaled sharply. "Yes."


End file.
